Little Do You Know
by KailaBritt
Summary: Evelyn has had a rough childhood. When a twist of fate lands her on the Sawyer Farm, she seems to fit right in, especially with Jed. But before long Evelyn begins questioning her sanity. Can she truly make this new life work? ... This story is going off the 2017 Leatherface story line. Rated MA for later chapters. *DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT MY OC AND MY OWN IDEAS*
1. Chapter 1

My hands were sweating, clammy, despite the heat. My thighs felt tight, like my legs were on the verge of locking up, never to move again. I sat in the seat of the truck as close to the door as possible. The words he had said were echoing through my head, my mind racing, and I knew I had to run. I had to get out of this truck and away from him. No matter the cost. Nothing could be worse than what had happened, what _would_ happen, to me.

 _"You're close to seventeen now, baby doll. We gotta stop by and see an old friend." He touched my cheek, his fingers against my skin making me feel nauseous._

My stomach churned at the words he had said. I glanced down at the map he had given me, but I was ignoring the highways we were supposed to be taking. I was leading us down random back roads and I could tell he was beginning to get agitated. _He's gonna realize soon what I'm doin'.._ "Turn here." I said quietly, pointing to the dirt road ahead.

"This can't be right!" He fussed calmly, turning down the driveway. I could see, what appeared to be, a farm house up ahead. _Still... That's a long way to run..._ "Let me see that map." I handed it over carefully, as he stared at me. Reaching up, he touched my hair, causing my jaw to clench. "Why'd you cut your hair, Evelyn? Makes you look like a boy. I don't like it at all. You should've asked first before you did that.." He frowned, before reaching down to take the map. _Now's your chance!_ My brain screamed at me to make my move now.

Grabbing the door handle, I pushed my door open and jumped from the car. Running as fast as I could, I ran down the dirt road toward the farm house. I could hear the anger in his voice as he screamed at me, his footsteps thudding on the dirt road behind me. Putting on a burst of speed, I ran faster than I ever thought I could, reaching the yard area surrounding the house. There had been a sign a ways back that read 'Sawyer Farm' or something like that.

I slowed my run, seeing a crowbar lying in the grass near the fence. Snatching it up quickly, I had no doubts in my mind what I was going to do. The thought of children being around came to mind for a moment, but it was just a flash. I didn't want a child to see anything like this, but when I turned to see him barreling toward me, I suddenly didn't care anymore. I swung the crowbar hard, catching him in the knee before he had the chance to dodge it.

 _CRACK!_ The sound of the crowbar connecting with his knee cap was loud in my ears. It was the loudest thing I had ever heard, surprising me that I swung hard enough to create that noise. He screamed out in pain, falling to the ground, rolling about. I went blank for a moment, unsure of what I was doing. "YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Came out of his mouth in a growl and snapped me back to reality. I brought the crowbar high above my head, smashing it down onto his shoulder. The prong ends sunk into his flesh and I pulled hard on the bar. "WH-WHAT THE FUCK?" He rolled a little to the right, screaming in pain.

"I WAS AIMIN' FOR YOUR HEAD!" I shouted, as I brought the crowbar back up.

"What in the holy hell is goin' on out here?" A woman's voice made me freeze, and I looked up to see a dark haired lady on the porch. A man stumbled out of the door behind her, his eyes on me.

"Call the police!" The man squirming in front of me yelped. "She's tryin' to kill me!"

"Ma'am, I'm sorry.. But you might wanna look away!" I called to her. Something in her eyes caught my attention, making my stomach knot. She wasn't looking at me in shock or fear or surprise. She looked... Curious, almost.

"Should I get Jed?" The man asked her, but she shook her head.

"No, wait.." She replied quietly.

Without waiting any longer, I brought the crowbar down again. On his head. His face. Over and over and over, I was screaming with every swing. Every time he had ever touched me, hit me... Every awful word he had ever said to me, every threat, every single thing about him.. I just kept bring the bar down over and over and over. I couldn't stop.

"AGHH!" I let out another little scream, slinging the crowbar to the side. I could feel something running down my face and I looked down at my arms. My arms and dress were covered in blood. My white shoes were splattered and streaked with blood. My eyes darted to the mess I had made, his face unrecognizable. I felt sick and I turned away, taking a deep breath. I thought I was going to throw up.

"Miss?" The man called to me, and I straightened up, putting my hands up slowly.

"I'm sorry..." I managed to say the words as I started to cry. "I'm sorry, you can do..wh-whatever y-you have to. Call th-the police or.." I trailed off, shaking my head.

"Why don't we get you inside and clean you up? Then we'll talk." The woman made her way down the porch toward me. Stunned, I put my hands down, allowing her to guide me inside the old house. She led me to a bathroom, ushering me inside. "You gotta name?"

"E-Evelyn." I managed to say, as she started the water.

"Verna Sawyer." She began wiping my face with the warm water. "If you don't mind me askin', who the hell was that man?"

"My father." I replied, staring blankly at the wall.

"You just killed your daddy?" The woman asked, but her tone was calm.

"He was a bad, bad, man." I whispered.

"How so?"

"Abusive.. He..he was on his w-way to take me to a friend of his." I looked away.

"He rape you?" She was blunt.

"He was goin' to." I admitted. "So, so, I-I ran."

"Did more than that." She muttered and I kept quiet. "You sorry you killed him?"

"No, ma'am."

"Would you do it again?"

"Yes, ma'am." I answered without hesitation.

"How old are you?" More questions.

"Sixteen."

"Sixteen, huh... You scare easily?"

"Not anymore." I mumbled.

"Any family gonna be missin' you?" She asked, stepping back to inspect her work.

"No, ma'am." I shook my head, my stomach knotting again. _Why all these... Weird questions?_

"No mother?"

"She's been gone a long time." I whispered.

"Oh, honey..." Her face seemed genuinely saddened by that. "Well, on Sawyer Farm, we don't do things like the norm."

"Y-You mean... You're not gonna..call the cops?" I asked in shock.

"No. I'm not.. But only if you listen and do what I say. Got that?"

"I can.. I can do that." I nodded.

"I'll get you some fresh clothes. Why don't you take a bath and wash up."

"Thank you." I said quietly. "Thank you." She gave me a quick sympathetic smile, before leaving me alone in the wash room, shutting the door behind her.

My mind was racing, my thoughts swirling. I was terrified and had no idea what was going on. _I-I killed him. I actually did it... I can't believe I did it.. I killed him. I'm free... I'm actually fuckin' free..._ I sat down on the edge of the tub and began to cry. The images of his bashed head flashed through my mind, making me cry harder. _I can't believe I did that... I did that.._ Jumping up, I began ripping off my clothes, wanting to get his blood off of me. I wanted to wash myself clean of him forever.

In the water, I scrubbed. I scrubbed and scrubbed, and just when I thought I was clean, I scrubbed some more. Sitting in the tub, I pulled my knees to my chest and rocked gently in the water. Taking a deep breath, I rocked back and forth, trying to keep myself calm. Everything inside me was a swirling chaos. I felt like I couldn't breathe. Fresh tears welled up in my eyes, slipped down my face and to the tip of my nose. They ran onto my knees, but I didn't wipe them away. I just kept rocking.

 _Tap, tap, tap_. The light tapping of knuckles at the door made me jump. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, ma'am." I said quietly, still holding my knees to my chest. The dark haired woman stepped inside, putting fresh clothes on the sink.

"You hungry?" She questioned, looking down at me.

"I-I'm not sure." I admitted with a shaky voice.

"No rush, you take your time. But when you're done in here... I'll have some lunch ready."

"Thank you." I felt the need to say the words, but I still felt uneasy about this whole place. _Who in their right mind sees a person kill another person in their front yard and does nothin' about it? Somethin' is off with this place...these people... Still.._ They had taken me in like I hadn't done anything wrong. And that wasn't right.

 _Maybe she understands.. Think about the questions she asked._ It made sense. Someone who had been through the same situation or watched someone they cared for go through it, they could understand why I did what I did. Hell, I wasn't even sure I understood why I did what I did. All I knew, is that if I hadn't killed him, it would have been really bad for me. Really bad. And I couldn't take anymore. I'd finally had enough of him. After all those years I had finally snapped.

And I had to admit... It felt pretty damn good.

* * *

 **Hello, readers !**

 **So, I am basing this story off of the 2017 Leatherface movie. I am changing things here and there about Leatherface as a whole, only to fit in my story. I don't want to give too much away, obviously this is going to be a Jed/OC story. Leatherface is a teenager, which is so odd to me, but the movie was amazing and that's why I am writing this Fanfic story.. I am stoked about this and cannot wait to see what you guys think of it. As always, reviews are welcome !**

 **New readers, I have two social media accounts in which I use to connect with my readers. On both I post updates, news about fanfiction projects I'm working on, edited pictures for my stories, shout outs and more ! Follow me on Twitter (my handle is kailabrittFF) and/or like my Facebook page (Kaila Britt Fanfiction). I like to be able to connect with you guys and show you my appreciation !**

 **Thank you so much !**

 **~Kaila**


	2. Chapter 2

I got out of the now cooling water, drying off quickly. Changing into the little dress that was given to me, I didn't bother putting on the socks that had been placed on top. I wanted to feel the ground beneath my bare feet, remind myself of what it felt like to feel like nothing owned or trapped you. Folding my towel neatly, I put it on the edge of the tub before looking at my reflection in the bathroom mirror.

My short red hair was wet and messy from the towel drying I had done. Using my fingers to try and brush it a bit, I finally gave in and didn't care anymore. I knew that when it started to dry it would curl up a bit anyway. Taking one last look at my tired face, I frowned at the circles underneath my eyes. The freckles splayed across my skin hid them a bit, but you could still tell I looked as if I hadn't slept in days. Forcing myself away from the mirror, I silently opened the bathroom door and stepped into the hallway.

The wooden floor was warm under my feet as I made my way down the hall. I followed the noises I heard until I reached the kitchen area. Verna was busying about in the kitchen when I stepped through the doorway. An older boy, quite a bit older than me, sat at the table. He was skimming over a paper, his eyes meeting mine briefly before he looked back down. Verna turned to me, giving me a light smile. "This is my son, Nubbins."

"I'm Evelyn." I said quietly, trying to be as polite as possible. Something about the way he kept glancing at me scared me.

"Nice to meet you." He said in a mumble.

"Hungry?" She asked, walking over to me with a plate.

"Thank you." I took the plate and sat down at the table. I ate slowly, afraid if I ate too fast I might puke. My stomach was still in knots and I felt quite shaky.

I continued eating in silence, finishing most of the food on my plate. Verna walked over and looked down at me, grabbing the plate up. She touched my forehead gently, her face worried. "You feel okay? You look a bit pale.."

"I think I'm just tired." I admitted, letting out a breath.

"You had a rough day." She nodded, walking toward the sink. She put the plate down gently and turned back toward me. "I think it's best you try and get some sleep. Come with me." She started past me and I stood to follow her. She lead me into a bedroom with a nice bed. The peach colored blanket looked inviting, and I thought it was odd how much the sight of the bed felt like home. "You can sleep in here."

"I really appreciate it." I said softly. "Thank you..for everything you've done. You really saved my ass today."

"You saved your own ass." She huffed out a half laugh. "Get some rest, Evelyn."

I watched her leave the room, shutting the door behind her. Climbing onto the bed, I pulled the covers back and snuggled down inside the sheets. Pulling the blanket up to my chin, I stared at the window across the room. Sunlight flooded through, but I felt exhausted, the light not even bothering me. Weary because I was in a new place, but completely drained, I closed my eyes and told myself to sleep. _Just sleep..._

* * *

 _"Get on your knees." He growled, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. I hated to let him see me cry. I never wanted to let him see me cry. Not ever again. I stood there, refusing to budge, afraid of what would happen if I did. "What did I just say, darlin'? I said on your fuckin' knees." He leaned in close to my ear, causing me to try and shy away. "Don't make me tell you again, Evie."_

 _I flopped down on my knees, bracing myself. He stepped in front of me, but I couldn't look up. I was too scared to do so. He grabbed my chin hard, forcing my face to look up at him. "I can't wait 'til the day you turn seventeen... Mhmm, can't wait to see what that pretty little mouth will do." He grinned wickedly. "But we gotta talk about your behavior today. Yes, little lady, we do."_

 _"I-I didn't do anything!" I protested, confused as to what had set him off._

 _"Oh, you didn't, did you?" He began unbuckling his belt and the sound made me flinch. "So I was just imaginin' you talkin' to that Miller boy this mornin'?"_

 _"Tim? He was just askin' me if we'd been gettin' our mail! That's it, I swear." I pleaded. "He said they had mail missin', I told him our mail was comin' in normal as far as I knew."_

 _"You think I'm stupid?" He asked. "I know that boy likes you.. You like him, too.. Don't you?"_

 _"No, no.. I don't!" I was telling the truth._

 _"My girl ain't gettin' around with no one. You're still my girl?" I didn't want to answer, but I was afraid not to._

 _"Yes, sir." I managed to say the words._

 _"I think you need a reminder of that." He reared back his arm, bringing the belt down hard on my back. I covered my head with my arms as he continued swinging, the belt causing sharp pains and stinging along my back and arms. I yelped in pain when he hit one last time, bringing the belt down harder than the last. Before I could move, he grabbed my face again, pushing my long red hair to the side. "I see you talkin' to that boy again... Tell me you'll stay away from him."_

 _"I'll stay away from him." My eyes were watery._

 _"Boys only think about one thing, Evie." The nickname made me cringe. His voice was soft, but it was all an act. "I don't want no one to hurt my girl."_

 _"I know." My voice sounded small. Weak._

 _"You're still my girl?"_

 _"Yes, Daddy." I nodded, hoping he'd just stop._

 _"Good.. Go wash up and get ready for dinner." He let me go, and I scrambled from the floor. Running into the bathroom, I turned on the water and splashed my face. Looking in the mirror, I wondered if I would ever get away._

* * *

I jerked awake, the bad memory I had been dreaming about fresh in my mind. I could almost feel the stinging pain of that belt on my back. Rolling over toward the wall, I curled into the blanket, my body shaking. Closing my eyes, I tried to think of something else, anything else besides that awful man. That awful man who was my father, who was supposed to protect me and love me. The man who was supposed to keep me safe all my life.

 _That man never existed. He never did._ I told myself angrily. I had grown up watching other girls with their fathers and I had been envious. I always wondered what it was like to have a real father. One who loved their daughters without touching them in inappropriate ways. One who didn't beat them with belts, whisper awful things into their ear, make threats of what he was going to do to them when they got old enough... I shivered under the blanket.

 _He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. He's dead.. He's dead... Dead... Gone... Gone.._

* * *

 _I was running for the house. It was strange. It was like I could see myself running, like I was outside of my body. Running, running, as fast as I could. And there he was, yelling at me as he ran right behind me._

 _I saw myself grab the crowbar and turn, swinging it. The sound. The loud CRACK it made as it connected with his knee cap was like music to my ears. I swung it again, missing his head, but landing a solid hit to his shoulder. Blood slung up as I pulled the prongs out, bringing the crowbar up again._

 _The two people on the porch just watched with slight curiosity as I began smashing the man's head. Not just any man, my father. The man who had kept me his own little personal prisoner for sixteen years. I was no longer a little bird in a cage, I was a teen girl with a crowbar and the need for freedom. The need and want to live. I wasn't going to let him take anymore from me._

 _Blood splattered and flew as I continued bringing the crowbar down against his head. The sickening CRACK sounds it made against the bone was loud in my ears. The sound of the prongs sticking into the skin, then ripping out. Blood. So much blood._

 _I beat him and beat him and beat him. I beat his head with that crowbar until I couldn't recognize it anymore. I was covered in blood, my face changing from fear and pain and anger to shock. I slung the crowbar to the side, my face blank._

 _The blood... So much blood.. It was everywhere._

* * *

Sitting straight up, I looked around the dim room, forgetting for a moment where I was. _The house.. The farm.._ I reminded myself, my heavy breathing calming. Rubbing my sleepy face, I threw the covers off and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I crept to the door quietly, opening it without any sound. Walking softly down the hallway, I made my way to the front door and opened it slowly. Stepping out onto the porch, I closed it and sat on the stairs.

The sky was beginning to lighten up, the stars still twinkling above. I was shaking like a leaf, despite the morning not being cold. The stress of yesterday, and the last sixteen years, was hitting me hard. Taking a deep breath, I tilted my head up to look at the sky. In the distance, I could see the blue beginning to lighten, the sun preparing to make its appearance. Something about the sunrise and sunset comforted me, it always had.

"Can't sleep?" Verna's voice made me jump. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"I just had some bad..dreams." I glanced back at her.

"Cup of coffee?"

"Can I help?" I asked, standing on the stairs.

"Sure." She nodded and I followed her back inside. "The cups are in that cabinet right there." Mrs. Sawyer pointed. I opened the cabinet, pulling out two pale yellow coffee mugs. Setting them on the counter, I looked back at her.

"I, uh.. I really like this place." My voice sounded small. "I've never really had somewhere that felt like home.."

"You make yourself at home." She smiled. "I'm just glad you're okay after what happened yesterday. You're a strong girl."

"Not really.." I shook my head, feeling embarrassed. "Took sixteen years to save myself."

"But you did." Mrs. Sawyer countered.

"I guess I did." I agreed.

"I'm gonna start breakfast since you're up."

"Please let me help." I offered a light smile. "It's the least I can do after everything.."

"Can you make eggs?"

"Is scrambled okay?"

"Scrambled is fine." She gave me a light smile. We set about cooking breakfast. I drank my coffee with a little more sugar than needed, but I liked it sweet and it woke me up. Standing at the counter, I added a little bit of milk to the eggs before stirring them until they were blended into an yellow mess. Pouring the eggs into the pan, I used the spatula she gave me to move them around, making sure they scrambled.

Nubbins came into the kitchen, I guessed awoken by the smell of food. He sat at the table with sleepy eyes as we continued making breakfast. He and his mother made small talk, but I kept quiet. The eggs finished quickly and I took them off the stove, using the spatula to transfer them to a plate. The eggs I had just finished were added to the table, where a pile of bacon and sausage sat. "All that's left are the biscuits. They should be done in a minute or two." Mrs. Sawyer informed us.

"You gonna get Jed?" Nubbins asked his mother.

"I.. I dunno." She gave him a look.

"Who's Jed?" I questioned, looking from the boy to his mother.

"My other son." She replied, her tone different than before. She looked at Nubbins. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Should be interestin'." Her son grinned, something about it almost wicked.

"How so?" I asked, looking from him to Verna.

"Jedidiah was in an accident a few months ago." Verna said quietly "He was shot in the mouth and has scars on his face... He doesn't go out, he's... different."

"Bring him up here." I said surely.

"That wouldn't bother you?" Her tone seemed surprised.

"I'd love to meet him." I stood from my chair.

"Okay... All right, I'll bring him up."

* * *

 **Evelyn is going to meet Jed... Should be interesting ! I am planning on playing Jed's part in a slightly different way than might be expected. In the movie he showed that he had a hard time controlling his temper and anger, which I'm using to my advantage to write this story the way I want. It's kind of like he's still that sweet Jed we first meet, but when it's time to put on the mask and grab the chainsaw... Well, he's Leatherface.**

 **I am very stoked to be writing this.**

 **Don't forget I have a Twitter (kailabrittFF is my handle) and a Facebook page (Kaila Britt Fanfiction) that I made just for my readers. I post picture edits, updates about chapters I'm working on, shout outs and more. It's just a way to connect more with you guys !**

 **Thank you all so much for the amazingness. Every single READ/REVIEW/FOLLOW/FAVORITE is beyond greatly appreciated ! You are all amazing.**

 **~Kaila**


	3. Chapter 3

Verna left the room and Nubbins chuckled.

"What?"

"Brace yourself. Mom has this weird feelin' about you that you're gonna fit right in around here. I think you're gonna bolt. If Jed don't scare you off... Our way of farm life will." He smirked, the smirk turning into that wicked grin again as we heard footsteps. I looked up to see Verna standing in the doorway with a boy around my age.

The first thing I noticed in the light of the kitchen was his blue eyes, and my heart began to race. The way the light danced across them caused a blue green appearance that had me captivated for a moment. He was watching me wearily, his eyes nervous. His short blonde hair was tussled a bit, giving it a slightly messy appearance. The scars along his face looked healed, but they didn't make a difference to me. He was still quite attractive, scars and all. I walked over to him carefully, offering a light smile as I stepped out into the hall. My heart was thumping in my chest.

"Hello, Jedidiah." I stood directly in front of him.

"Hey." He said quietly, his eyes darting to the floor.

"Jed, this is Evelyn." Verna introduced me, before stepping back into the kitchen. He said nothing, his eyes darting back up at me, then back to the floor. I stepped toward him, raising my hand. He jerked his head up, his weary eyes on mine.

"Can I?" I asked for permission, looking into his eyes. I wanted him to know I wasn't afraid of him. He hesitated for a moment, before nodding. Stepping a little closer to him, I ran my hand along his face softly. I could feel the indention of his skin from his scars under my fingertips. I grinned at him and saw a slight upward twitch of his lips.

"You hungry, Jed?" Verna called to him from where she stood at the kitchen counter. I stepped back from him, my hand leaving his face. We walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Jed began to fill his plate quietly, while Mrs. Sawyer pulled the biscuits from the oven.

"It looks great." I mentioned, and Nubbins looked at me.

"These eggs are pretty good." His gruff compliment made me break into a grin.

"Well, thank ya." I held my arms out in a slight bow, causing him to crack something resembling a smile.

"Yeah, Jed, Evelyn helped me make breakfast this mornin'." Verna told him, looking at her son. He glanced up at his mom, then to me.

"It's..good." He said quietly, his voice strained. Almost as if it were painful for him to speak.

"Thank you." I looked over at Jed, who's eyes darted back down to his food. _He's shy..._ I fought the urge to smile as I began eating my food.

I had never seen someone like him before. Sure, I had seen boys that I thought were cute. But I had never seen someone and felt instantly connected to them. The scars along his cheeks and jaw made him unusually quiet and self conscious, I could tell that from his body language and the way he barely made eye contact. I understood the scars, the effect of them tremendous. I had scars, mine were just hidden. For the most part.

"So, where are you from, Evelyn? That accent is a bit different from us Texans." Nubbins teased, and I smirked.

"Alabama." I replied.

"How'd you end up in Texas?" Verna questioned, taking a sip from her cup.

"Uh, John had..come here to see his friend and, uh..dragged me along." I said quietly, looking back down at my food.

"How'd you wind up on our farm?" Nubbins leaned back in his chair, his eyes on me.

"I just..chose roads at random. Idiot put me in charge of the map, so I used that to my advantage. Figured if I could get us on some back roads, I'd be able to make a run for it eventually." I explained. Grabbing my cup, I took a sip of water, my mouth feeling dry.

"That was smart." Verna mentioned.

"I had to get away from him." I was staring at my cup.

"What?" The older brother was still eyeing me. "Was he puttin' it to ya or somethin'?"

"Nubbins Sawyer!" His mother growled. "You watch your damn mouth, boy."

"Sorry, Mama.." He muttered.

"He just liked to beat on me is all." My voice sounded small, as I pushed the remainder of my food around on my plate.

"I'd say by the look of what you did to his head, he ain't gonna be beatin' on you no more!" He smirked wickedly.

"Yeah.." I agreed quietly, forcing myself to eat a few more bites. My eyes darted over to see Jed glancing at me, his face almost apologetic. But when he caught my eye, he immediately looked back down at his breakfast. I drank the rest of my water, the awkward silence at the table making the room feel thick.

"I-I'm..done, Mama." Jed spoke carefully, grabbing his plate.

"Okay, baby." She watched him get up and walk to the sink. He put his plate down and started to walk away. "Jed?"

"Yes, ma'am?" He turned to face her.

"Why don't you give Evelyn a tour of the farm later? I think it'd do you some good to get outside a bit." Her smile was odd, almost as if she were teasing him. He simply nodded, before leaving the kitchen.

"I've got some shit to do." Nubbins stood from the table, putting his dish in the sink. He left us alone and I gave Mrs. Sawyer a slight smile.

"I'll do the dishes." I said surely, standing with my own plate.

"You don't have to do that, honey." She fussed sincerely.

"At least let me dry and put away?" I offered, to which she accepted. She began washing the plates and cups one by one, handing them over to me to dry. After a few moments of silence, I spoke again, choosing my words carefully. "I like Jed."

"You treated my boy real kind." Verna mused, giving me a sideways glance. "Not many people would."

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked the question seriously. "Just because he has scars on his face doesn't make him any different than us.. In fact, I think he's handsome.. Scars and all."

"That's sweet of you to say." She said quietly.

"I really mean it, Mrs. Sawyer." I continued drying the plate she had handed me.

"He hasn't had an easy life. I know you of all people can understand that."

"Yes, ma'am..." I trailed off, my thoughts racing. _I wonder what happened to him... How'd he get shot?_

"Oh, before I forget..." Verna turned the water off, and I realized that there were no more dishes left in the sink. She disappeared from the kitchen as I put away the last plate. Leaning against the kitchen counter, I waited awkwardly for her return. The dark haired woman reappeared with my bag in her hands. "Nubbins got this out of your father's truck." She handed it over.

"Thank you.." I took it, having completely forgot about it. "I'm gonna go get out of these sleep clothes." I turned away, walking out of the kitchen and down the hallway to my room. Once inside, I shut the door and locked it, still weary of everything. I set my bag on the floor before stripping out of my clothes. Standing there, I stared at my bag and realized it was the only thing I had. Just a bag of clothes and some personal items.

The reality set in hard and fast, catching me off guard. For the first time ever, I was free. I never had to worry about him again. Not ever. And as much relief as that gave me, I still had to live with the fact that I had killed him. I had really killed him. _How did I even... I don't know who that girl with the crowbar was.._ I thought, grabbing a greenish gray dress. I shrugged into it and threw on my socks. Tugging on my shoes, I felt the tears in my eyes before I could even try and stop them.

Wiping my face quickly with the back of my hand, I took a deep breath. _Get yourself together! Now is not the time! You did what you had to do... You did what you had to._ I reassured myself. _Really? By killin' him? Yes!_ I argued with myself, my stomach knotting up at the thoughts going through my head. Shaking them away, I took another deep breath, before leaving my room and walking down the hallway.

"What a nice dress.." Mrs. Sawyer said quietly as I entered the kitchen, though her face had an odd expression. "How about I go get Jed and he'll show you around."

"Okay.." I smiled as she left to go get Jed. I was expecting her to return with him, but when I looked up, it was just him. His eyes were on mine as he approached me, but he kept his distance. I felt my heart began to beat faster at the sight of him. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ I questioned myself, as we stood there in silence. "So," I finally spoke, tilting my head slightly, "how about that tour?"

* * *

 **And so.. They meet.**

 **And it's only going to get crazier from here. I am loving writing this story. Super excited to see where it goes !**

 **Follow me on Twitter (kailabrittFF) or like my Facebook page (Kaila Britt Fanfiction) for picture edits, information about updates and different stories I'm working on, shout outs and more ! Just a great way for me to interact more with you guys !**

 **As always, thank you so, so, so much for clicking on my story ! Every READ/REVIEW/FOLLOW/FAVORITE is greatly appreciated ! YOU'RE ALL AMAZING ! Thank you.**

 **~Kaila**


	4. Chapter 4

Jed avoided my eyes as he turned away and started toward the front door. I followed behind him, stepping through the door he had held open for me. "Thank you." I said sweetly, stepping onto the porch. Something to my left caught my eye, and I took a step back. Startled, I nearly bumped into Jed. An old man was sitting in a rocker on the porch, rocking slowly. "Wh-Who is that?"

"Grandpa." Jed mumbled. He moved around me, walking toward him. "Grandpa, this's Ev'lyn."

"Uh, huh..." The older man glanced at me. "Who's she?" He growled out the question as if it were difficult to speak.

"Like us." Jed said simply before turning to me. "Come on."

"Nice to meet you." I said quietly. I turned to follow Jed down the steps and into the yard. I could see the spot coming up where I had beaten John's head in, a large dark stain on the ground from all the blood. Trying to keep my eyes focused on where I was going, I told myself not to look.

 _Don't look... Do not look._ We walked in silence, the hot Texas sun bearing down on us. "Whoa.." I muttered, as we came upon their pig pen. "Those are some big pigs.." I gaped, leaning in toward the fencing to get a better look. Jedidiah was watching me, his expression borderline amused.

"Ain't ever seen pigs before?" He asked.

"Not that big." I replied, taking a step back "Has he been here the whole time?" I nodded toward the porch.

"Yeah." The boy began walking along beside the fence. I stayed at his side, keeping up. "Stays in his room a lot." I glanced over at him, before looking back ahead.

"Uhh, is that smoke comin' from behind the house?" I stopped walking, seeing thick smoke billowing from behind the house.

"Hn.." Jed grunted, trudging toward the house. _Should I go with him?_ I thought about it for a moment, concerned about what was on fire. _Screw it._

"Jed, wait up!" I called, following behind him. He slowed a bit, allowing me to catch up. We rounded the house together to see a large drum barrel containing a fire. Two older boys stood around the fire, big grins on their faces. One of them looked just like Nubbins, but his hair was shorter. When they saw us approaching, their grins widened.

"Well, well, well! Miss us, little brother?" One of them asked Jed, who snorted.

"No." He replied gruffly, to which the other two laughed.

"How'd I figure that?" His grin faded a bit. "So this is her?"

"Yeah." Their younger brother, who was standing close to me, nodded.

"She's pretty." The other one said. "Evelyn, right?"

"That's me." I leaned a little closer to Jed, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"Mama told us about you." He stuck out his hand. I took it wearily, glancing at the boy beside me. He gave me a reassuring look and I relaxed a little. "They call me Chop Top."

"What a name." I said playfully. He laughed, letting my hand go.

"Drayton, eldest of these morons." The older brother shook my hand quickly.

"Ahhh, what an ass you are." Chop Top joked. "Jed, where's Nubs?"

"Dunno." He replied gruffly.

"What are you two doin' out here anyway?" He pressed, and I noticed Drayton watching his younger brother.

"Jed was givin' me a tour of the place." I bumped him with my elbow. His lips twitched upward, but he didn't quite give me a smile as his eyes darted to the ground. "I thought the house was on fire." I mentioned sheepishly, to which Drayton chuckled.

"Nah, just burnin' that guys stuff." He looked at me, something dark in his eyes. "You know.. The one you killed." His words caught me off guard, but I tried to recover quickly.

"Sorry about that." I shrugged. "Guess it's not everyday you see someone brutally murdered in your front yard."

"You.." He huffed out a half laugh. "You have no idea." Jed snapped his head up to look at his brother, giving him a slight glare. Unsure of what to say, I just kept my mouth shut, the silence growing eerie.

"Shall we continue the tour?" I turned toward Jed, not realizing how close he was standing. We were only inches apart, our eyes locking as I looked up at him, hoping he'd agree.

He said nothing, just started walking. I waved at his brothers as I trudged behind him. _What did he mean by that? "You have no idea"..._ His words kept running through my head. _Who are these people?_ My thoughts raced, the reality of the situation beginning to set in. Maybe I had been in shock before, not realizing that something about this family, this whole place, was off.

I had took a crowbar to my father in their front yard. I had killed him right in front of Verna and Nubbins..and it was like it didn't even phase them. Verna had seemed more curious than anything, which I had brushed off at first. But for them to see me do that and they not call the police... Verna had brought me into their home and treated me like a guest. After watching me brutally murder my abusive father. That wasn't something that normal people did.

"Does all this land belong to your family?" I broke the silence, trying to stop my own storm of thoughts.

"Yeah." Jed said quietly, kicking the ground with his boot as we walked.

"It's beautiful out here." I mentioned, as I stopped and looked around us. The sun was hot, making me feel sweaty. "Hot as hell, but..can't deny the view."

"Cows are out that way." He pointed to a pasture in the distance.

"Well, come on!" I started toward it. He gave me a grunt and I could hear his footsteps behind me. We walked along the dirt path toward the fence that lead to the cow pasture. Once I reached the gate, I opened it and started inside the fence.

"What are..what are you doin'?" Jed asked, his eyes watching me wearily.

"I wanna see the cows." I answered simply, before turning and continuing toward them. I heard him give a light snort, but he followed behind me. I stepped cautiously up to the closest cow, a large dark brown animal with round almond eyes. "Hi, there..." I whispered, inching closer. The cow just stared at me, munching away on grass. Reaching out slowly, I touched its head.

Jed stood back watching me, and I suddenly felt self conscious. Glancing up at him, I gave a little grin. He smirked, squinting in the sunlight, his dirty blonde hair matting at his forehead from the sweat. For a moment, I didn't want to look away, but I also didn't want him to think I was staring because of his face. Looking back to the cow, I gave it one last pat on the head. Stepping back from the animal, I turned back toward Jed.

"Should get back." He mumbled, and I nodded, walking with him toward the gate. I noted the way he walked, a slight dip in his step. He swung the gate open, allowing me to step through first. After closing and securing it, we walked slowly back to the house. I was enjoying the fresh air, soaking up the sun as we walked. But despite the sense of home this place brought to me, it still gave me an eerie feeling.

"Jedidiah?" I stopped walking as we reached the front porch. He stopped, hesitating a moment before turning back to look at me. "What..uh, what did your brother mean when he said I had no idea?" The boy stared at me for a moment, his face unsure. Then he shrugged, before turning back toward the porch.

"Guess you'll see." I heard him mumble as he took the stairs. I took a deep breath before walking toward the porch. _What does that even..mean?_

* * *

I had sat out on the front porch stairs, Grandpa in his chair, and watched the sun begin to set. The warm oranges, red, and purples swirled in an array of dull and bright colors. When the sun had begun to to disappear behind the horizon, I went inside the house and took a bath. I hated to feel sweaty and gross. The warm bath took away my stresses and once I felt clean, I got out and dressed into a pale yellow night gown that Verna had given me.

Leaving the bathroom, I took my dirty clothes into my room, dropping them in the little basket by the door. A pile was accumulating and I knew it would be time to wash them before long. Leaving my bedroom, pulling the door shut behind me, I padded down the hallway toward the kitchen. The wooden floor was warm under my feet. As I made my way to the kitchen, I could see the warm glow of the lit room. Voices and laughter echoed through the air as I stepped through the doorway.

"Well, look who's all cleaned up for dinner!" Chop Top grinned.

"Is that comfortable?" Verna asked, glancing at my gown.

"Oh, yes, ma'am." I said surely. "I like it a lot."

"Bet Jed will, too." Nubbins mumbled teasingly. I felt my face burn and I tried to keep my eyes on the floor to avoid them seeing the blush creeping along my freckled cheeks.

"That's enough." His mother snapped at him. His smirk faded and he kept quiet as Jed came up behind me. I stepped to the side so he could walk past me toward the others. Verna looked at Jed then to me. "You two make a plate. Evelyn, there's regular barbecue in the bowl on the left and a..special recipe on the right." She smiled, something oddly wicked about it.

"Thank you." I said quietly, stepping up behind Jed. I watched as he scooped meat from the bowl on the left, and I noticed Verna giving a slightly disapproving glance. When Jed moved away from the food, I decided to get barbecue from the left. Something told me to go with Jed's choice. I wasn't sure how I felt about the "special recipe".

Scooping the meat onto my plate, I added some green beans from the pot that sat behind it before walking over to the table. Jed pulled my chair out and I sat between him and Drayton. "Such a gentleman." I whispered softly, causing him to look down at his food. As soon as their mother sat at the table, the boys began to eat. I picked up my fork and dug in, my stomach feeling empty suddenly. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until the food was in front of my face.

"So what were you two doin' in the cow pasture today?" Nubbins asked, looking from Jed to me.

"I wanted to see the cows." I said, drinking water from my cup.

"Really?" He pressed, sounding skeptical.

"Really." I countered, putting my cup back on the table.

"What'd you think?" Chop Top asked, his eyes on mine.

"Well, one let me pet it." I snorted out a half laugh. "It was, uh, cute." The boys all stared at me a moment before Drayton and Chop Top burst into laughter. Jed was suppressing a grin, I could tell. "What?" I asked, but Nubbins caught my eye when I noticed he wasn't laughing. He glanced at Verna, giving her a look. She shook her head slightly and I quickly glanced over at Jed to avoid her seeing that I had seen that silent interaction.

"Cute? A cow?" Chop Top was still laughing. "Cute to eat!"

"Yeah, well, I try not to imagine that part." I joked. He just shook his head with a smile as he continued eating.

"The pigs need a good feed." Nubbins said suddenly, his voice holding an odd tone. Everyone at the table paused for a moment, looking to Verna.

"We'll talk about that later." She said.

"Found somethin' in the woods today that might help with that." Nubbins informed, to which Verna cut her eyes at him, giving her son a stern look.

"We will talk about it later." She said sternly. "Jed, is it good?"

"Yes, ma'am." He replied without looking up at her. An awkward silence hung over the table, making me uncomfortable. Everyone finished dinner, the boys filing out one by one. Jed had disappeared, leaving me alone in the kitchen with Verna.

"Dinner was great." I said quietly. "Can I help clean up?"

"You look tired, why don't you get some sleep?"

"Might just take you up on that." I handed her my empty plate.

"You sleep good, Evelyn." Verna's vibe had changed completely from earlier. She was back to her soft spoken and sweet side.

"See you in the mornin'." I turned away and left the kitchen. Padding down the hall, I reached my room and stepped inside. I shut the door and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. Before I knew it, I was enveloped in darkness, sleep taking over.

* * *

 _RUN. My head spun, my brain screaming. I was silent, unable to scream or say anything, but everything inside of me was telling me to run. I grabbed the door handle and jerked it with a strength I didn't know existed. Jumping from the truck, I ran._

 _"EVELYN, GET BACK HERE!" He was screaming at me as we ran. I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop, because if I did.. It was all over. This was my last ditch effort for freedom, and getting caught now would surely mean I'd get it worse than I'd ever gotten it before. I couldn't take that risk. Fight or flight had kicked in and I knew that I was going to fight._

 _Suddenly, I was being grabbed, the image of the farm house fading slowly, farther and farther away. I was kicking and screaming, trying to get away from him. "YOU STUPID LITTLE WHORE!" He was trying to keep a hold on me, grabbing my side hard. I kept fighting. A loud RIPPPP made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. He had ripped my dress._

 _He's gonna... He's gonna kill me and worse, I thought. Before I could think of a move to make, I was sent flying. He had pushed me away from him hard, sending me stumbling to my knees. "You foolish little girl." He taunted, lurching toward me. Grabbing me by the shoulder, he spun me around hard, forcing me into a sitting position. The dirt road was grainy underneath my legs._

 _"Don't!" I yelped, trying to scramble backward. He jumped on me, slamming me down onto my back. THUD. The sound of my back hitting the dirt road was loud and I couldn't breathe for a moment._

 _"You did it this time, Evie... You really did it this time." He shook his head. Grabbing my torn dress, he began to yank hard, ripping it even more. "You ain't gonna run from me!"_

 _I screamed._

* * *

I sat straight up with a gasp, my heart pounding so fiercely that I thought it might jump out of my chest. Breathing hard, I was frozen for a moment, the realization that it was just a bad dream slowly hitting me. My body was shaking like a leaf and I felt as if I were freezing cold. Trying to calm my breathing, I laid back onto my pillow, my eyes on the ceiling. I pulled the covers back up to my chin, shivering underneath the blanket.

I started to roll over and curl up into a ball, but a noise stopped me. Propping up on my elbow, I listened carefully, unsure of what I had heard. _It sounded like a girl-_ The noise rang out again from somewhere outside. The unmistakable sound of a scream. Though it didn't sound as if it were _right_ outside, it didn't sound too far off. "What the hell..." I whispered to myself, throwing the covers off.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood. Starting toward my door, I hesitated for a moment when I heard voices outside of my room. Listening carefully, I could hear Verna and Drayton talking, but their voices were too muffled to understand what they were saying. _Maybe they heard it, too.._ I thought as I opened my door. The two were at the end of the hall by the front door, talking in hushed voices. "What.. What's goin' on?" I questioned sleepily. "I heard screamin'."

"Everything's fine, Evelyn. Go back to bed." Verna assured, but her face said something totally different.

"Are you sure, I heard-"

"You don't need to be out here right now, get back to your-" She was cut off by the screaming growing louder outside. Another noise rang out, maniacal laughter echoing outside. The tone was a familiar sound. _Was that..Nubbins?_ Something was very wrong. Very weird.

"You should go back to your room." Drayton spoke softly, and I frowned.

"But what about all that noise? Who is that out there-" I got cut off by stomping from somewhere down the hall.

"Evelyn, get out of the hall!" Verna yelped. Before I could react, the door down the hall slammed open, Jed standing there. I was confused until I saw what was in his hands.

"What the hell-"

* * *

 **Uh, oh.**

 **Exit Jed, enter Leatherface !**

 **How is Evelyn going to react to Jed with a chainsaw? Especially after her first impression of him being such a sweetheart...**

 **I don't know about you guys, buuuuut. Jed can chase me with a chainsaw any day ! I'd be out there like, "CHASE ME GOTDAMN."**

 **Somebody stop me. Jesus.**

 **Follow me on Twitter (kailabrittFF) and/or like my Facebook page (Kaila Britt Fanfiction) for photo edits, update info, shout outs and more !**

 **I love my readers. Every READ/REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW is ahhhh-mazing ! Thank you ALL SO MUCH !**

 **~Kaila**


	5. Chapter 5

I didn't even finish my sentence before Drayton had my arm, dragging me down the hall as Jed cranked the chainsaw. He revved it up, the brattle of the blades making my ears ring. Drayton pulled me over beside him and Verna, clearing the hallway. I watched in shock as Jed glanced at me, his eyes wild, before he came thudding down the hall. The front door was open, and out he went, as we stood there watching him go. My heart was racing, my mind blank for a moment with confusion and fear.

"You ain't ready for this, go back to your room." Verna said surely, her tone on the verge of snappy. "No matter what you hear, you do not come out tonight. Okay?"

"O-Okay." I couldn't do anything but nod, as I started down the hallway. Glancing back, I could hear the revving of the chainsaw, followed by more screaming coming from outside the house. I ducked into my room quickly, shutting the door and locking it. Swallowing hard, I ran to my bed, jumping on it and covering myself up. Laying there in the silent house, I listened to the faint noises outside.

The screaming had gone quiet. I couldn't hear the chainsaw anymore. I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind reeling. _What the fuck? What. The. Actual. Fuck... What just happened? Who was that, how could that be Jed?_ I thought about the deranged look in his eyes, chills running up my spine. I was shaking again.

 _Who are these people?_ I wondered, my heart thudding in my chest. I felt sick and had to squeeze my eyes shut, trying to control my breathing. _He had a chainsaw... A fuckin' chainsaw! That girl...she was screamin' and he went out there with the chainsaw and it stopped.. Did he...? Well, what else could it be? Of course he did! He..killed her? He must have. You don't just chase people around with chainsaws for fun!_

 _STOP. You're jumpin' to conclusions. What the fuck am I supposed to think? There's no good explanation for goin' after someone with a damn chainsaw! How do you explain that? How could Jed look so... Insane! He's so sweet and shy and quiet and... And, FUCK. He was holdin' a goddamn chainsaw... What was it she said? "You're not ready for this." I'm not ready for what? What does that mean?_

 _How did this even happen? Of all the fuckin' driveways to bolt to... I had to pick a crazy family's house! Jumped outta one nightmare and ran straight into another one! They're gonna kill me... Would they kill me? No, they hadn't yet.. So would they? If that was the plan why hadn't they done it already? Why bring me in and treat me like... Like one of them.._ The thought hit me like a ton of bricks.

 _She... She thought... She saw what I did._ I thought. _She saw me kill that bastard._ I remembered Nubbins on the porch that day. _"Should I get Jed?" That's what he said. And she told him no.. She wanted to see if I was really gonna do it. And I did. I did do it..._ My stomach churned, and I heard footsteps down the hall from my room. I shut my eyes, hoping no one would come to my door. The footsteps came close, each light _thud_ making my heart race faster.

The footsteps stopped outside of my door. Seconds that felt like minutes passed, before they continued down the hall. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and snuggled deeper into the covers. _He was evil. I killed him because he was an evil, evil man. Not because... Well, I really don't know why they killed anyone, if they even did. Maybe he did just chase her off. Maybe she was messin' around out there with somethin' she shouldn't have been._

 _Are you really tryin' to justify chasin' someone with a chainsaw?_ I asked myself, still very shaken. _Should I.. Should I make a run for it? No, that's stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I don't know where I am. I don't know Texas, this town, nothin'. I'm stuck.. I'm fuckin' stuck.. Shit, what have I done? What have I gotten myself into? What am I gonna do now?_

I heard muffled laughter from somewhere in the house. _You're gonna figure this shit out. That's what you're gonna do. You're gonna play along until you can figure it out. You didn't make it this far to get yourself killed by bein' stupid! Play along.. Figure it out.. It'll be okay. It'll all be okay._ I assured myself. I had to play my cards smart. I had to be smart.

* * *

I laid awake for the remainder of the night. When the first hint of light began to show outside through my window, I sat up in bed. My stomach was in knots, my hands shaky, as I slipped from underneath the covers and made my way to my bedroom door. Reaching out, I hesitated for a moment. I wasn't sure what I was going to say to any of them. I wasn't sure what questions I would ask or be asked. Unlocking the door, I twisted the knob and stepped out into the hallway.

Padding down the hallway softly, I walked into the dim kitchen. I stood still for a moment, soaking up the silence of the old house. An eerie feeling came over me and I forced myself to move toward the cabinet that held the cups. I stood on my tip toes, grabbing a coffee cup, before turning toward the counter. I took coffee grounds from the tin beside it and put a filter in. Dumping the spoonfuls of grounds, I stepped to the sink and poured cupfuls of water into the coffee maker.

Once it was full, I hit the button to brew the coffee, and sat down at the kitchen table. The kitchen began to lighten a bit more, and before I knew it, the coffee was finished brewing. I stood from the table, pouring my coffee and adding some milk and sugar. Stirring the hot liquid, I glanced at the stove before taking a sip. _I need to stay in good graces..._ I thought. Setting my coffee cup down, I set about to make breakfast.

I was humming along, trying to push last night's events somewhere in the back of my mind. I mixed eggs and milk in a bowl, before rummaging around the kitchen for other ingredients. I noted they had everything needed to make pancakes. _I'll do that, too._ I started mixing together ingredients for fluffy pancakes in another bowl. Moving silently as possible around the kitchen, I began the actual cooking. Once the eggs were in a pan and the pancakes were in another, I went to the refrigerator and peered inside.

Seeing slices of bacon in wrapping, I grabbed them and heated yet another pan. Scrambling the eggs around and flipping the pancake in the pan, I yawned. The first pancake was cooked through, so I put it on a big plate, and poured a little of the batter onto the hot pan before grabbing a slice of bacon. _I hate cookin' bacon._ I winced, as I gently dropped the meat into the hot pan, pulling my hands back quickly as it sizzled and popped. "Shit.." I muttered under my breath, as I grabbed two more pieces.

Dropping them in the pan just as gently as the other two, I washed my hands after. The kitchen was lit up now, the first rays of sun peeking through the window. I finished the eggs and pancakes, and most of the bacon. I had only a couple of slices left to fry, the grease popping harder than before. Grabbing the bacon, I dropped it in the pan and jumped back. Not quick enough, grease popping onto my hand. "Dammit, shit!" I muttered quietly, shaking my hand.

"Good mornin', early bird." Verna's voice startled me, making me jump and whirl around. "Jumpy, aren't we?"

"Sorry, I, uh.. Good mornin'." I forced a light smile. "I couldn't sleep so I figured, uh, I'd.. You know, make breakfast. Give you a break."

"Well.. That's mighty kind of you." Her eyes were on mine. "Burn yourself?"

"Bacon grease." I replied softly. "Hurts like hell."

"Yes, it does." She agreed. "It looks delicious."

"Thank you." My voice sounded small. I forced my shoulders back, trying to be more confident. "Hopefully it will be."

"I'm sure it will." She made herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table as I washed my hands. The bacon was nearly done cooking when Chop Top made his way into the kitchen and sat down. He stared at me with wide eyes before a grin came over his face.

"Damn, the girl cooks." He mumbled sleepily, causing me to laugh lightly.

"Just a little bit." I held my fingers up, about an inch apart, to visualize my words.

"Figured you'd be long gone by now." Nubbins stepped into the kitchen.

"Man, leave the girl alone!" Chop Top frowned.

"He's right, let her be." Verna fussed, turning her head to me. "Ignore him." I forced another soft laugh, facing the stove.

Taking the bacon from the pan, I picked up the bowl of eggs and plate of pancakes. Setting them in the middle of the table, I walked the few steps back to the stove and grabbed the bacon. Verna was getting the butter and syrup when I stepped back over to the table. I set the bacon down beside the eggs, feeling proud of my handiwork.

"Somethin' smells good." Drayton walked into the kitchen, yawning. He stopped when he saw me, slight shock in his eyes. "Mornin'."

"Good mornin'." I chirped.

"Evelyn cooked breakfast for us.." Verna was looking at her oldest son.

"Damn. Looks great." He complimented.

"Well, I hope it's as good as it looks." I shrugged.

"You'll go wake Jed up?" Her eyes met mine. I tried to keep my face straight.

"Sure, uh.. Door at the end of the hall, right?" I asked casually.

"Yes." She gave me a nod. I hastily stepped out of the kitchen, but stopped in the hallway. Taking a breath, I started toward the door. _What if he comes barrelin' outta that door with that damn chainsaw?_ I frowned at my thought. _Stop it. If they wanted to hurt you, if Jed wanted to hurt you, it'd have happened by now.._ I really wanted to believe that.

Reaching the door, I knocked softly. "Jed?" Twisting the doorknob, I opened it. My heart felt as if it were in my throat, pounding away like a drum. Stairs led down into a room, but I wasn't sure what to do. "Jed?" I called down. I listened, hearing nothing. Stepping halfway down the stairs, I leaned into the railing. "Jedidiah!"

"Hn?" I heard his sleepy voice grunt in question, my anxiety dropping. My heart was still thudding loudly, but I let out a breath.

"Breakfast is ready!" I called, not waiting for a reply. I turned and ran up the stairs, leaving his door cracked behind me. Walking quickly down the hall, I stopped, taking another breath. Exhaling, I put on a smirk and entered the kitchen. "He's up now." I assured, sitting down beside Drayton.

A minute or so passed before Jed came into view from the hallway. His dirty blonde hair was slightly messy. As much as I was completely freaked out by what had happened last night, the sight of him with adorable bed head was slightly comforting. He never looked at me as he trudged over to the table and sat down to my right. "Thank you, Evelyn." Verna said with a smile. Something about the way she was smiling made me uncomfortable.

"Yeah, thanks." Chop Top spoke up.

"I just hope you like it." I said quietly, as they filled their plates. I put food on my plate, the sight making my stomach knot up again. Last night was still heavy on my mind, but I tried not to show it.

"This's great. Diggin' the pancakes." Drayton said surely.

"It's very good, Evelyn." Verna agreed.

"Mom didn't say you could cook anything besides eggs?" Nubbins looked at his mother.

"I didn't know." She countered, Chop Top and Drayton laughing lightly.

"Breakfast food is easy." I tried to brush it off.

"It's good." Jed spoke up, mumbling the words out. Everyone got quiet for a moment, and I glanced over at him.

"Thank you, Jed." I said genuinely, an odd feeling coming over me. The fear and anxiety I had felt last night, and about last night, faded away with him sitting beside me. This calm, shy, sweet, soft spoken boy was nothing like the boy with the chainsaw. It was almost like two different people, and as much as I couldn't understand it... I couldn't change the way I looked at the boy sitting beside me this morning.

* * *

 **Of course Evelyn is flipping her shit. I mean, who wouldn't be ?**

 **But, she's also trying to play it smart. Even though she doesn't know much about the Sawyer family, she knows enough not to do anything stupid. And something about the family has drawn her in, despite everything, even if she is a little scared.**

 **Not trying to ramble, just really stoked to be writing this.**

 **The feedback I've gotten so far is great !**

 **As always, thank you all for the READS/REVIEWS/FOLLOWS/FAVORITES ! I appreciate it greatly and am excited to hear your thoughts and what you think of the story ! Without my readers, I wouldn't be doing this. So thank you !**

 **~Kaila**


	6. Chapter 6

"I was thinkin' about washin' my clothes, I can wash everyone's if you'd like." I told Verna. The boys had helped clean up the kitchen since I had cooked, and now it was just Verna left sitting at the empty table with her cup of coffee. I had just gotten out of the bath, my hair still wet.

"You're sure? That's an awful lot of clothes.." She said surely, her face appearing to be slightly troubled.

"It's no problem, really." I assured. "I don't mind. Gives me somethin' to do to help out."

"Glad to see you're so eager to do your part." She smiled. "It means a lot.. You can take the boys clothes and wash them. And then... Jed can show you where the chickens are. Maybe you can gather the eggs?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." I forced a grin before turning on my heels. Taking the boys clothes baskets out one at a time, I had them in a line in the yard at the wash bin. Filling it with water, I grabbed the soap Verna had given me for the clothes. As I began grabbing articles of clothing from the baskets, I noticed something alarming. Blood.

A few shirts and pants of the boys had blood on them. Not much, but enough. Frowning slightly, I scrubbed away at the clothes, washing them as best as I could. Most of the blood came out, only leaving a shirt or two with stains. Whatever kind of cleaning mixture this was, it was good. _What am I doin'..._ My brain was a mess as I pinned the clothes up to dry. I finished and began grabbing clothing out of Jed's basket. The first shirt I grabbed was soaked in blood. It was the dark red plaid flannel shirt that he had been wearing the day before.

I dropped the shirt in the metal wash bin, looking down at my hands. They were red and wet. My stomach churned and I quickly shoved my hands into the water. Grabbing the soapy cleaner, I doused the shirt with it. Scrubbing fiercely, I tried to ignore the bloody water and the heavy metallic smell. Pulling the shirt out of the water, I realized it wasn't going to get clean. Dumping the water out, I refilled it and continued scrubbing the rest of his clothes before moving on to mine.

Once my basket was empty, I took his and my clothes to the line and began pinning them up to dry. _All that blood.._ I felt sick thinking about it. I didn't even want to know where the blood came from, who it came from. _The girl screamin'.._ I forced myself to stop. A noise to my left caught my attention, and I saw Chop Top and Nubbins carrying large buckets toward the pig pen. They reached it and began dumping the contents into the pen for the pigs.

 _What the hell..is that?_ Moving Jed's shirt I had just pinned up, I squinted in the sunlight. Whatever they were dropping into the pen was red and looked like meat. When Nubbins stood up straight, his eyes meeting mine, I quickly moved my hand that was propping Jed's shirt out of my line of vision. Grabbing another shirt, I pinned it to the line. The last thing I wanted to do was draw unnecessary attention to myself.

I finished pinning our clothes, then grabbed two of the empty baskets. I took them inside to Chop Top and Nubbin's rooms, putting them back where I had gotten them. After I returned Drayton and Jed's, I grabbed my own basket, carrying it to my room. Plunking the basket down in its place, I left my room, cracking the door behind me. Stepping down the hallway, I made my way into the kitchen, where Drayton was sitting at the table with a newspaper. "Uh, hey.. Have you seen Jed?" I hovered in the doorway awkwardly.

"Think he's in his room." I noticed a half smirk creeping onto his lips and my face felt flushed suddenly.

"Thanks." I mumbled, ducking away from the kitchen. Back in the hall, I hesitated for a moment, staring at the door at the end of the hallway. My heart began to race as I started toward it. No matter how hard I tried to push it to the back of my head, I couldn't get the image of Jed coming through that door with that chainsaw in hand out of my mind.

It came with an odd feeling. Despite seeing him like that, I had been more startled than anything. Of course, it had frightened me, but not nearly to the extent one might think. In my sixteen years of living, I had been more afraid of my father than I was seeing Jed with a chainsaw. Even knowing what might have taken place outside the house, he still didn't scare me anywhere near the way my father did. Maybe because I didn't feel directly threatened by Jed.

Reaching his door, I tapped my knuckles gently. Listening, I heard nothing. Twisting the door knob, I opened his door and poked my head inside. "Jed? You down there?" I called down softly. "Jed?" I tilted my head slightly, listening for any sign of him. It was eerily silent. Stepping backward, I pulled the door closed quietly and turned around. Jed was standing right behind me, causing me to jump and stumble backward into the door with a little yelp.

"Sorry, I.. I didn't mean to scare you." He said with a soft voice. His blue eyes were on mine, and I couldn't tell if my heart was pounding from the scare I had received or the way he was looking at me right now. We were only inches apart and I couldn't tear my eyes away from his.

"I, uh.. It's okay, I was just lookin' for you. Your mom said you'd take me out to the chickens." I managed to explain, trying to level my breathing without him noticing.

"All right." He was still standing extremely close to me. "She give you a carton?"

"No." I shook my head.

"We'll get one." Jed stepped back, turning to walk toward the kitchen. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, following him down the hall. When we walked into the kitchen, I noticed Drayton glance up at us, watching us walk by. Jed led me to the refrigerator and opened it up. Shuffling through the cartons on the middle shelf, he grabbed one that was empty, handing it to me.

"Thank you." I said quietly as he shut the fridge. Ignoring Drayton, I followed Jed out of the kitchen and to the front door. He opened it for me, allowing me out first. Giving him a little grin, I stepped out onto the empty porch. "Where's Grandpa?" I asked, glancing around.

"In his room." Jed said simply, a smirk on his face.

"What?" I asked as he started down the steps.

"Just funny hearin' you call him Grandpa, is all." Jed had the hint of a smile on his lips.

"Well, I don't know what else to call him!" I teased playfully. He glanced over at me, his lips still tugging upward. _I'll get him to give me a smile one day.._ I thought, watching his face.

"Call him whatever you want." He played back.

"Well, then, I'm callin' him Grandpa." I gave him a light laugh as we reached the chicken coop. "Wow, it's bigger than I expected."

"You know how to gather eggs?" Jed questioned, watching me.

"I've done it once before. I think I got it." I cooed playfully, walking backward toward the coop. "I'll holler if I need help." I grinned, before turning and unlatching the door of the chicken enclosure. Ducking just a bit to step inside, I looked around at all the chickens. "Well, hello, there." I said quietly, easily making my way over to the left side. I used slow movements, reaching under the chicken to find the egg. I felt it and grabbed it, putting it in the carton before moving on to the next one.

I was at the fourth chicken, the hen eyeing me with beady eyes. I started to reach under her, when she jerked, letting out a squawk. "Move it, then!" I fussed at her, shooing her away with my hand. I heard chuckling from outside and I looked back at the door that was slightly ajar. "Ha, ha, laugh it up out there!" I called to him.

"Havin' fun talkin' to the chickens?" He called back in question. I made a face of someone not amused, as I finished gathering the remaining eggs. Leaving the coop, I shut the door behind me and made sure the latch was secure.

"You think you're funny." I bumped him with my left elbow, carrying the carton with my right hand.

"You were the one fussin' at a chicken." Jed countered, tilting his head to look over at me.

"She was bein' difficult!" I laughed. "But, hey. Got the eggs, didn't I?" I raised an eyebrow, lifting the carton slightly.

"Yeah." He was still smirking as we reached the porch. Grandpa was sitting in his rocking chair, his eyes on the farm land surrounding us.

"Hey, Grandpa!" I chirped, giving him a wave. He whipped his head over to give me a confused glance, before snorting and giving a slight wave. I glanced back at Jed, trying not to burst into laughter, and he was suppressing a grin. He put his hand on my lower back, practically shoving me through the front door. As soon as he shut it I began laughing, really laughing, for the first time in a long time. "Did you see the look on his face?"

"Yeah, I did." Jed chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"What are you two laughin' about?" Nubbins made me jump, and I held onto the egg carton a little tighter.

"Geez!" I fussed, giving him a slight glare.

"You sure are jumpy, girly." He raised an eyebrow. "Any reason for that?"

"Oh, I dunno, maybe because I'm not used to havin' a bunch of boys around sneakin' up on me?" I countered, standing my ground.

"Good point. Better get used to it." He grinned wickedly, making me uncomfortable.

"Kids?" Verna stepped out from the kitchen, eyeing us. "Somethin' wrong?"

"No, ma'am." Nubbins gave Jed a glance, before walking toward us. I side stepped, moving out of the way. He opened the front door and walked outside, shutting it behind him.

"Got the eggs." I forced a slight smile, trying to change the subject.

"Chickens give you a fuss?" She asked, taking the carton from me.

"Only one, but not too bad."

"Think she fussed more than the chickens." Jed teased, and I gave him a look.

"Next time I'll just drag you in there with me!" I played back. Verna looked from Jed to me, then let out a small chuckle.

"Glad to see you're fittin' in.. I figured you would." She mentioned.

"I really do like it here." I said quietly, glancing at Jed. _I just might like you, too._

* * *

It had been two weeks since the night of the incident with the chainsaw. Everyday was just like any other ordinary day on a farm. I helped Verna with breakfast and dinner most days, washed clothes, did dishes, collected eggs, and other normal chores. Sometimes at night I heard screaming and the sound of the chainsaw cranking up, but I just ignored it, trying to imagine that it wasn't real. Like it was some kind of bad dream.

In the mornings, Jed would be back to his usual self. That sweet shy boy. He had been more secluded over the past two weeks, only talking to me briefly during the day, if at all. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but knowing the little that I did know about his past, I let him be. I didn't bother him. I knew if he wanted company that he knew where to find me. It's not like I'd be far.

I had just gotten out of the bath when I heard a knock at the door, before it burst open. A man in, what appeared to be, a police or sheriff uniform came into the house. His eyes fell on mine, an odd look of confusion settling across his face. I heard footsteps coming from the kitchen, Verna coming into view. Her expression went from confused to angry quite fast. "What in the hell do you think you're doin' bustin' in my home like this?" She barked at him. He looked over at her, a cold look coming to his face.

"I'm still wonderin', Verna, what happened to the sheriff?" The officer stood up straight, glaring at her. "I sure do find it interestin' how he just disappeared after your boy escaped Gorman and went on a murder spree, no thanks to you."

"My boy didn't go on no murder spree." Verna growled. "And I don't give a shit what became of Sheriff Hartman."

"I also find it strange that Jedidiah Sawyer just up and disappeared, no sign of him after Hartman went missin'."

"You know he ain't here." She said icily. "Whole damn Texas police force searched this house." My heart was thudding in my chest as I stood there awkwardly, feeling afraid of the man. I knew he was a police officer, and while a small part of me said that was my ticket out, I kept my mouth shut.

"Then you won't mind me searchin' again." He started toward me in the hallway. "Who is this?"

"You can't do that, you ain't go no warrant!" Verna followed behind him.

"Don't need one. Probable cause."

"Probable cause, my ass!" She yelped, and he turned back toward her.

"You know, we also had a Deputy Sorrel go missin'. He was workin' with the sheriff to find those Gorman kids. You know anything about that?"

"I don't know shit and you need to get out. Come back with a warrant." Verna growled, standing her ground.

"Told you, Mrs. Sawyer.." his lips were on the verge of a grin, and I noticed Nubbins creeping up behind him. I kept my eyes on the officer, trying not to give the boy away. "I don't need no warra-"

 _THOOMP!_ Nubbins knocked the officer over the head with a thick wooden cutting board. The man dropped to the ground, moaning in agony. The boy hit him again, knocking him out cold. He looked up at Verna, who was shaking her head angrily. "Pig."

"What the fuck? How can he just...walk right in?" I was struggling with what I was seeing. Between the officer barging into the house uninvited, and then Nubbins knocking him over the head, I didn't know what to think.

"They wanna take my boy away." She said quietly, turning her head toward the door at the end of the hall. "JED! JED!" She called out. Within a few seconds, Jed's door opened. He stood there with slight confusion on his face, until he saw the cop. "Get the chainsaw." She looked back down at the unconscious man. Nubbins was grinning at me, making me feel nauseous. Verna looked up at me. "Somethin' you need to know about this family.. We don't let outsiders who come in to hurt us get away with it. I think you've been here long enough to understand now."

I just stood there, watching her. I wasn't sure what to say, so I decided to start with a question. "What's he want Jed for?"

"That missin' sheriff he was talkin' about? His daughter got killed on our property. He took my boys who were underage away. He took Jedidiah, said he wasn't safe. Put him in a mental facility for kids called the Gorman House." She explained, her eyes on the cop. "He was in there for ten years. Ten years, I tried to get my baby out but they wouldn't let me. So.. I went in and unlocked some doors and he got out. With a few others, of course-"

Before she could say anything else, Jed appeared with the chainsaw. The sweet look in his eyes was gone, replaced by the wild and angry expression that made shivers run up my spine. I swallowed hard, stepping back so Nubbins could grab the cop up under his arms. We followed as he pulled him into the living room, sitting him in a chair. "Evelyn, hold him." He barked at me, which startled me slightly. _What? Me?_

I hesitantly walked over to where he was, grabbing the officer's shoulders to keep him from slumping over. Nubbins disappeared from the room for a few moments, before popping back in with some rope. He handed me a piece of rope, using his spare hand to rest on the officer's chest to keep him in place. I looked at the rope, then back at him. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Tie his arms behind the chair, girly." Nubbins replied with slight annoyance. My stomach churned as I took the rope. Leaning down, I took his right arm and pulled it behind the chair. I tied the rope to his wrist, securing it, before pulling his left arm back. Wrapping the rope tight around his wrists, I felt as if my heart might leap from my chest. Or I might puke. I wasn't sure which.

 _What am I doin'? I can't.. I can't believe I'm doin' this. I'm takin' part in this craziness. This is insane.._ My mind instantly went back to Verna's words. _He would've found Jed and..and taken him away.. That's not gonna happen, with or without my help. So maybe this is a test or somethin'.._ I was trying to make sense of it, as I secured his wrists with a tight double knot. Standing, I backed away from the man in the chair, not wanting to be close to him.

Nubbins tied his legs to the chair before looking over at Verna. She seemed satisfied, giving him a gentle nod. "Go get your brothers and Grandpa."

"I think Drayton was out with the cows," I spoke up, "I can go get him."

"All right. You do that." She agreed with an odd tone. I turned and walked quickly to the front door. Opening it, I began running in the dim light toward the cow pasture. The sun had already settled down in the sky, leaving a dim blue above. It was starting to get difficult to see far ahead, as I ran down the dirt path toward the pasture.

"DRAYTON!" I yelled, squinting. "DRAYTON!" I jogged toward the fencing. "DRAYTONNN!" I was practically screaming when I reached the gate.

"What?" He called, and I could barely make out his figure coming toward the gate. As he came closer, I saw a large bucket in his hand.

"You need to get to the house!" I blurted out. "Some cop burst in lookin' for Jed and-"

"What? Is he okay? Where is he?" He opened the gate quickly, dropping the bucket and securing the latch.

"Jed's fine, Nubbins knocked the officer out and we tied him up." I explained, as we jogged down the dirt path toward the house.

"What do you mean the cop burst in?" He asked as we reached the porch.

"He just.. He just knocked and before anyone could answer.. He walked right in!" I explained, panicking slightly. I had a bad feeling about everything that was happening right now.

"Fuckin' cops..." He muttered as we took the stairs and wandered inside. "Mom?"

"In here!" She called from the living room.

"What the hell is goin' on? Evelyn said he was lookin' to find Jed?" Drayton looked the cop up and down. I noticed Grandpa sitting in a chair. He looked...happy.

"Yes, the bastard just barged in here sayin' he don't need no warrant. Like hell he don't.. He's lookin' to tear this family apart." She was clearly upset.

"Don't worry, Mama." Chop Top was leaning against the wall. "No one's gonna take Jed, all right? Not ever again."

"That's right, 'cause we ain't gonna let 'em." Nubbins agreed surely. I stood back, watching the family talk. Jed was to my right, holding the chainsaw, waiting. I glanced at him, catching his eye. The man in the chair stirred, causing my eyes to dart back in his direction. He blinked hard, shaking his head. He began trying to move his arms, and once he realized he couldn't, it seemed to wake him up more.

"Verna!" He growled, his voice hoarse. "The hell is this? You best let me go right.." He trailed off when he saw Jed. "Holy hell.."

"You people just don't know to leave shit alone, do you?" Nubbins hit him lightly on the side of the head, making him wince.

"What the hell happened to his face?" The cop asked, staring at Jed.

"That sheriff of yours shot my baby." Verna snapped.

"Well, shit..." The cop smirked. "If he wasn't a freak before.."

"Hey!" I blurted out angrily. Everyone in the room seemed to freeze. "Don't you talk about him like that!" The boys were staring at me, Verna peering at me with a surprised face.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asked, glaring at me. His glare turned to Verna. "I don't remember you havin' no girls around here."

"She is none of your goddamn business." She said calmly, her eyes back on him. "You shouldn't have come here. You're not takin' my boy. Not again." She whipped her head over to her youngest son. "Get him, Jed!"

And that was all it took. Three words and he cranked the chainsaw with two pulls. The vibrations of the blades rattled my eardrums, the revving of the chainsaw loud in the room. I clenched my jaw to keep a straight face, fearing I might throw up as Jed lumbered toward the man. He began screaming. "YOU STOP THIS RIGHT NOW, VERNA SAWYER!"

"Do it, Jed!" She encouraged instead, watching her son.

"YOU CALL HIM OFF RI-" His words were cut off when Jed screamed, plunging the blade of the chainsaw into his chest.

My first instinct was to bolt. To make a run for that door and never look back. _Would he chase me? Do I even have to ask? He wouldn't hurt me..would he?_ Every part of me screamed to run away from the horror taking place in front of me. But as the blood flew and splattered about, I couldn't move. It was like my feet were stuck to the floor. Jed was still screaming, tearing the man apart, though he was clearly dead. There wasn't much left of him to tear apart.

"Okay, Jed! You can stop.. You can stop, Jedidiah!" Verna was trying to get him to back off, but it was like he wasn't hearing her. Against my better judgment, I sprang forward, grabbing his arm. "EVELYN, NO!"

Jed whirled around, the chainsaw in his right hand, only a foot or so from my legs. I was still holding onto his his arm, looking into his eyes to avoid seeing the awful mess he had made of the cop. "Jed?" I said his name softly, my eyes on his wild ones. "You're done now, okay? You can stop now." My voice was barely above a whisper. "It's okay.. Jed, it's okay. He's not gonna take you, now.. You can stop, Jed." He stood there, staring at me for what felt like minutes. Finally, he moved his right hand, the chainsaw turning off. He hung his head, staring at the floor.

"You did good, Jed." Verna said quietly, her eyes concerned. I was shaking slightly, still holding onto his arm. "Evelyn.. Are you good?"

"I'm good." I breathed, letting go of him.

"We'll talk in the mornin'. I've got a mess to clean."

"Yes, ma'am." I scurried away, leaving the living room. Once I hit the hallway, I ran to my room, closing the door and locking it. In shock and full of emotions, I jumped onto my bed, pulling the covers up around me. In a sitting position, I began to rock as I cried.

* * *

 **Okay, I have been looking forward to this. Finally did a bit longer chapter. I really loved the idea that Jed is still that kid we see in Leatherface before everything goes to shit. Just that when he does go full Leatherface, he can't control it very well. Which is why Verna and Drayton had been concerned when she was standing in hall when he came up.**

 **But, of course, just as Evelyn has a soft spot for Jed... Jed has one for her. I think maybe because she wasn't afraid of him and treats him like a normal human being. In other words, she's not a jerk face.**

 **Seriously, though. I am so looking forward to all the new territory this reboot opened up for me to explore in story form. I have many ideas for this story, and I cannot wait to get them written into these chapters. Forever loving this movie !**

 **Thank you to all the awesome READS/REVIEWS/FOLLOWS/FAVORITES ! YOU ALL ARE AMAZING. So inspiring. Thank you.**

 **~Kaila**


	7. Chapter 7

I barely slept at all. My head was pounding when the first rays of light began to shine through my bedroom window. Wincing at the bright sunlight, I threw the covers off of me and stood on my feet. I walked to my door quietly, opening it without a sound. Padding down the hallway softly, I reached the bathroom and stepped inside. Shutting the door and locking it behind me, I turned toward the sink.

Peering at myself in the mirror, I frowned. My eyes were a little red and puffy. My freckled face appeared exhausted, dark circles underneath my eyes. I figured I looked how I felt. Stressed to hell and back. With everything that was happening, I wasn't sure how to feel about it all. I wasn't sure how to feel about this house. About the Sawyers.. About Jedidiah. The way I felt about him confused me.

I twisted the knob on the sink, splashing cool water onto my face. Washing up, I felt more awake. My headache was beginning to subside, and I sighed, taking one last glance at myself in the mirror. _Better than before._ I thought to myself, relieved that my eyes weren't as red and swollen. Unlocking the bathroom door, I opened it and stepped back out into the hallway.

"Good mornin'." Verna's voice was soft. She was standing at the end of the hall near the front door.

"Mornin'." I mumbled, walking toward her.

"I think we should talk." She said quietly.

"Okay." I followed her toward the kitchen. My heart began to race, my anxiety heightening. I wasn't sure how this was going to go or what she was going to say... Or do.

"I know what you saw last night was probably scary for you." Verna sat down at the kitchen table. I sat down across from her. "But that's how we do things around here. No one is gonna tear this family apart."

"Do you think more cops will come?" I asked. "Lookin' for Jed?"

"I don't know." She admitted. "It's possible.. You did good last night. Especially stickin' up for Jed like you did."

"The cop was rude." I muttered, looking down at the table. "He really pissed me off sayin' that about him."

"You've been pullin' your weight and more," Verna said surely, and I looked up to see her eyes on mine, "but I think it's time you become more..involved."

"Involved?" I questioned, my stomach knotting up at the word.

"When Jed was younger, he refused to kill. Didn't really understand it, that's what our family does. It just is..." She trailed off with a shrug. "So we gave him another job. Which will be your job now."

"What's that?" My voice was small. I tried to sit up straight, show I wasn't afraid. Even though I was.

"People come through here often. Trouble makers. They make their way onto the farm with the intent to mess around out here and fuck up our home. If they saw Jed.. They'd have the police swarmin' this place just because of the way he looks." She explained. "So you're gonna make it easier on the boys. What you're gonna do is go out to the road and watch. When people drive up or drive by, you lure them back here and the boys do the rest."

"Lure them back here?" I asked. "How do I do that?"

"However you see fit. Tell them you need help, whatever you think will get them here. When we have people wander up on the property, you and I will take care of them. We bring them in, the boys do the rest. You understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." I replied, my stomach knotting at the thought.

"We just do what we have to around here." Her voice was so reassuring, despite the subject at hand.

"I understand." I tried to keep my tone even.

"Good. Will you go wake the boys up? Tell them I'm makin' breakfast." She stood, walking over to the stove. I stood from the table and left the kitchen. Making my way down the hall, I stopped at the first bedroom. Knocking softly, I opened the door.

"Nubbins? You up?" I asked, poking my head in his room.

"Huh?" He mumbled sleepily, rolling over to face his door.

"Verna told me to wake you up, she's makin' breakfast." I said. Without waiting for a response, I left his doorway, moving on to the next. I was about to knock, when Drayton opened the door, both of us startling the other.

"Well, shit." He mumbled playfully, earning a giggle from me.

"Sorry, Verna asked me to wake you up. Breakfast is cookin'." I started to turn away as he mumbled a "thanks". I moved across the hall and tapped my knuckles on the next door.

"Hm?" I heard a sleepy grunt as I cracked the door open.

"Breakfast." I said simply, to which I heard Chop Top moving to get out of bed. I left his door, reaching Jed's at the end of the hall. Opening it quietly, I crept down the stairs. A little more than halfway down, I could see into the dim room. Jed was sprawled out on his bed, asleep on his stomach. I noticed he didn't have a shirt on, his back bare. I started down the rest of the stairs, feeling a smile trying to spread across my lips. Despite what I had learned about this family, about Jed, I couldn't deny how adorable he was. "Jed?" I stepped across the room toward him on the bed. "Jed, wake up!"

"Hn?" He raised his head, turning to look at me. His eyes were squinting, his hair a slight mess.

"Mornin', sleepy head." I teased, walking over and sitting beside him on his bed. He looked up at me wearily, as if he were unsure of what to say. "Your mom's cookin' breakfast." I yawned. "She asked me to wake you boys up."

"All right.." Jed's Texas accent was thick was sleep as he plunked his head back onto the pillow. I laughed lightly.

"That don't mean go back to sleep!" I teased, grabbing his bare shoulders. "Wake up!" I gave him a shake, to which he rolled to the side, sitting up. I grinned at his sleepy face as he opened his eyes.

"I'm up.." He muttered sleepily.

"Good." I reached my hand up, touching the tip of his nose gently. "See you at breakfast." I said, before standing from his bed. I left him sitting there, half asleep, as I walked to the stairs without looking back. Bounding up them, I left his door cracked before walking down the hall. Making my way back into the kitchen, I sat in my usual spot at the table beside Drayton.

Within seconds, Jed appeared in the doorway. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and jeans, his face still sleepy. I forced myself to look down at the table as he walked over and sat beside me. The other brothers were chatting amongst each other as Verna finished cooking, the aroma of breakfast making me hungry. The events of last night seemed like a bad dream and I tried to put myself in the mindset that it was. All just a bad dream.

"It'll be in the paper 'fore long." Drayton mused, reading the newspaper in his hand.

"Course it will." Chop Top snorted. "God forbid a cop go missin'."

"Hey, what's today?" I asked suddenly.

"The thirteenth.. Why?" Drayton looked up at me.

"Huh." I made a face. "Hadn't really been keepin' up with the days. Tomorrow's my birthday." I admitted.

"No way! Well, shit, we gotta do somethin' special." Chop Top grinned.

"Oh, you don't have to do that." I waved him off with a laugh.

"Yes we will." Verna walked over to the table with two giant plates. "We always celebrate birthdays. Just celebrated Jed's a couple of months ago."

"So, you're turnin' seventeen, huh?" Nubbins asked, eyeing me.

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Got us an August baby in the house." Drayton chuckled playfully and I grinned. We all put food on our plates and began eating. Glancing over at Jed, I felt my grin turn into a smile. _Jury's still out...but.. Can't deny the view.._

* * *

"What if they don't follow me?" I asked, looking out towards the dirt driveway.

"You're a pretty girl. They will." Chop Top said surely. His voice was genuine, not being a creep.

"Thanks." I muttered, glancing back at them.

"You'll do fine." Verna nodded at me to go. "If no one comes along, you can try again tomorrow."

"You're right." I said, trying to sound confident. "Okay.." I started down the dirt path. Without looking back, I walked until I reached the main road. I stopped just before reaching the pavement, standing in the spot where my father had stopped that day. I hadn't been down here since that day, the memory of him pulling into the driveway coming to my mind.

I wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse, running straight into the Sawyer's lives. I couldn't complain too much, considering they had taken me in and were treating me like one of their own. They could have killed me. Or worse. But the price of being one of them was high, and I didn't know if I was ready to go through with it. It was one thing to kill in self defense... But this? This was... A bit insane.

I stood at the edge of the road, wondering what to do. _Should I walk the road?_ I questioned myself. Deciding it would probably make time go by faster, I started from the edge of the dirt driveway, walking along the side of the road. Once I got a little ways down, I turned and walked the other way. I continued walking back and forth in the hot Texas sun, a light film of sweat beginning to form along my body. _It's so hot..._ It felt like I had been out there for hours.

"Hot as hell, ain't it?" Chop Top appeared, walking towards me from the driveway.

"Shit, yeah, it is." I mumbled. He had a cup in his hand.

"Mama told me to bring you some ice water." He handed the cup to me and I took it with a smile.

"Thanks." I said, taking a sip. "Ahh, so good." I took another sip.

"Think Jed's worried about ya." He said, his eyes on mine.

"Why do you say that?" I asked curiously.

"He's been outta his room since you left. Usually stays to himself.." Chop Top shrugged.

"Hey, you hear that?" I tilted my head.

"Car." He said surely, as he started to bolt.

"Wait, C.T.!" I called, causing him to stop and turn toward me. "Wait a minute! I could use you.." The car came into view, and I was sure they could see me. I turned toward Chop Top. "Chase me!"

"What?"

"Chase me, now!" I ran out into the road, screaming. Chop Top was behind me. The car slammed on brakes, and I ran around it, the boy chasing me as I screamed. "HELP!" I shrieked, running back toward the dirt path. I could hear Chop Top chasing me, along with car doors slamming. Grinning, I continued running down the dirt path. Reaching the porch, I took the stairs and ran inside. C.T. ran in behind me, leaving the door open.

"What in the world?" Verna appeared, looking at the two of us with a confused face. I laughed, breathing hard.

"Look outside." I managed to say, catching my breath. She peeked out of the window and I moved toward her to look. Two girls and a boy were jogging toward the porch.

"Good job." She gave me a wicked grin.

"Can I go wash up?" I asked. "I'm sweaty and gross."

"Of course, honey. Go get a bath." She waved me on my way. I ran to my room, grabbing fresh clothes. As I was zipping up my bag, I could hear screaming outside. Leaving my room and going into the bathroom, I shut the door and locked it.

* * *

"Where are they?" I asked, looking from Verna to Nubbins. I had just gotten out of the bath, my hair wet.

"Tied up in the back room." Verna replied, giving me a light smile. "You did good."

"He helped." I pointed at Chop Top, who was standing by the front door.

"Hey, all I did was chase you." He shrugged.

"It worked." I shrugged back, causing him to chuckle. "Where's Jed?"

"In his room.. You can get him if you'd like. Tell him to bring the saw." Verna instructed.

"Yes, ma'am." I tried to keep my tone even, but my stomach was knotting up again. Leaving them, I walked to the door at the end of the hall. Opening it, I trudged down the stairs. "Jed?"

"Yeah?" He called gruffly from below. I reached the bottom step, seeing him sitting in front of the cracked mirror.

"I think... You know. Your mom said bring the chainsaw.." I said quietly, walking up behind him. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Was just..waitin'." He said simply. I leaned over his shoulder to see him holding something. Squinting in the dimly lit room, I noticed it looked like a mask.

"You're wearin' that?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Yeah." He replied gruffly, and I grabbed his shoulders with my hands.

"You don't have to." I leaned into him, my face close to the side of his. "You know that, right?" He said nothing, his right hand coming up to touch mine on his shoulder. His rough fingertips grazed across my knuckles gently, making me freeze where I stood holding onto him.

"Jed?" I heard Verna's voice at the top of the stairs. "Evelyn?"

"Come on." I whispered, giving his shoulders a light squeeze. "We're comin'!" I called up to her. I let go of Jed, walking toward the stairs. I hesitated, turning back to see Jed standing. He had the mask on his face, making it seem like he was a whole different person. The boy grabbed up his chainsaw, before walking toward me.

I took the stairs, reaching the top to hear noises coming from the hallway. Jed was right behind me as we exited his room. Verna was standing by the front door, Chop Top holding a girl in front of him. Her round eyes were wide with fear, and they widened even more when she whipped her head up to see me. Well, not me, but who was behind me. Her brown hair was stringy with sweat, her eyes darting from me to Jed. "What the fuck..." She started to scream.

"Shut up with all that!" C.T. fussed, yanking her backward toward him. "Shut. Up."

"Fuck you!" She threw her head back, bashing into his face.

"SHIT!" He grabbed his nose, letting her go. She dodged past Verna, running right out the front door.

"GO, JED!" Verna snapped, and I side stepped to let him by. The boy ran out the front door, right behind the screaming girl. "We need to follow him!" Verna said, heading toward the front door. Chop Top was moving quickly to follow her.

"Wait!" I called, running toward the door. Once outside, I stopped on the porch. "How do we know which way they went?" Suddenly, the sound of the chainsaw revving up hit my ears from somewhere out in the woods to my right. I could hear the girl screaming loudly. "Okay, stupid question." I muttered, as we jogged toward the woods. I heard Chop Top chuckle. "You okay?" I asked, glancing at him.

"Yeah, crazy bitch busted my nose, but.. I'll live." He had blood running down his lips and chin.

"Where's the others?" I questioned. "Wasn't there two more?"

"Nubbins and Drayton took them off to the barn, further down the property." Verna explained. I said nothing else as we ran toward all the commotion. Jed and the stranger came into view, the girl backed up against a tree. Jed was standing in front of her, the chainsaw raised. She had stopped screaming, and when I got closer, I noticed she had her eyes squeezed shut.

Jed brought the chainsaw down, screaming as it tore into her body. Her screams pierced the night air along with his, and my eyes darted to the ground. The sound of the chainsaw ripping through her was loud in my ears, but I couldn't look. It was too much and I was not ready. Her screaming stopped and I clenched my jaw to keep tears from forming in my eyes. It was hard to watch, hard to hear, and hard to know that Jed was the one doing this.

"Evelyn?" Verna's voice forced me to look up. She glanced over at Jed.

"Jed?" I took a step toward him. "Jedidiah?" Another step. He stopped moving, standing with his back to me, the chainsaw still running. My heart was pounding, the thought that he wasn't himself, frightening. "You're done now, okay.." I reached out, touching his arm. He turned his head toward me and I could see his eyes through the mask. "It's done." I whispered, trying to sound reassuring.

The chainsaw cut off, Jed stepping back from the mangled body. When he turned toward me, I realized he was covered in blood, my own fingers wet and smearing blood on his arm. He just stood facing me, the saw limp in his hand. I let out a breath, turning my head to look at his mother, before facing back to him. "Let's get you cleaned up." I said softly, holding onto his arm as I pulled him away from the mess he had created.

We walked through the woods in silence, making our way back to the house. My little hands held onto his arm tight, as if he were keeping me grounded. I was afraid if I let him go I might just disappear. It was an odd feeling, making my stomach churn. I could feel his skin underneath my fingernails, and I loosened my grip a bit as we reached the porch. Jed stopped suddenly, turning to face me, catching me off guard. He was much closer than I expected.

I looked up at the silent kid with the mask covering his usually sweet face. His eyes weren't wild anymore, the softness back in them. Letting go of his arm, I reached up behind his head and grabbed the strings that held the mask in place. Pulling them carefully, I took the mask off slowly, holding it in my left land. His blue eyes were dark in the night, and I put my right hand to his face, smearing blood across his cheek. "Jed?" I whispered his name, trying to figure out what was swirling around in that head of his. "Come on.." I dropped my hand to grab his free one, leading him into the house.

We walked down the stairs to his room. I put his mask on the little table in front of the broken mirror, before turning to Jed, who was right behind me. He dropped the chainsaw where he stood, his eyes on mine. "Why are you so..nice to me?" He asked gruffly, his blue eyes burning into mine.

"I.. Why wouldn't I be?" I countered, leaning back a little into the table.

"Cause I'm a monster, Ev'lyn." He growled, moving closer to me. "My face all scarred up, killin' people.. Just like Mama always wanted me to do. This's what she wanted me to be." He shook his head, turning away from me.

"Jedidiah Sawyer, you are _not_ a monster!" I fussed, pushing away from the table toward him. "Look at me." I grabbed his arm, pulling him to turn back to me. "Look at my face.. Do you honestly think that's what I should think of you?"

"Yes." He mumbled, refusing to look at me.

"Well," I grabbed both sides of his face with my hands, "I don't think that. Not at all, okay? This Jed right here, the one in front of me right now..." I shook my head. "You're shy and kind and sweet."

"You don't get it." He removed my hands from his face gently, moving to sit on his bed.

"Then help me understand." I sat down on the bed beside him. "Talk to me.." Jed tilted his head over to look at me, confusion and hurt in his eyes.

"Don't really remember much about my family." He said quietly. "Comes in bits and pieces, flashes.. Sheriff Hartman put me in the Gorman House. It was hell in there. Had me on so many different meds, I couldn't..." He shook his head. "We got out. Me..my friend Bud, nurse named Lizzy. Two others, Clarice and Ike, they were...bad. Real bad." Jed clenched his jaw. "They, uh, killed people. Forced us to go with them. I tried.." He put his head in his hands. "Tried to keep Bud and Lizzy safe. Bud killed Ike, Hartman killed Clarice. He was gonna kill us, too. We ran, and then... And then Lizzy d-did somethin' so goddamn stupid! I-I told her not to run to the officer, but she did. Got Bud killed.. He was, he was the only family I ever had." Jed's voice was strained.

"Jed..." I didn't know what to say as I touched his arm.

"Killed that cop. Lizzy was drivin', Hartman chasin' us.. Shot rang out and next thing I knew.." He moved his hand to motion to his face. "Then we were rollin' and I don't remember much after. She wrecked, Hartman was gonna kill me. But Mama and my brothers showed up. I just, I just lost it, Ev'lyn. Mama stitched up my face and gave me the chainsaw..told me to kill Hartman. Lizzy's screamin' at me and he's yellin'.. And I-I just did it. I killed him."

"He tried to kill you." I said softly, studying his face.

"Yeah, but.. I did somethin' else. Lizzy tried to help Hartman escape before I killed him. She got away after and ran into the woods. Got caught in a trap.. I was gonna kill her, but then I couldn't.. Mama was in my ear wantin' me to kill her and Lizzy was tellin' me I was..good. I almost believed her, but she just.. She called my mama crazy and I just swung the chainsaw outta anger. She was just a liar like everyone else. Thought she wanted to help me.. She didn't give a shit. What makes you any different?"

"Maybe because I've been there, Jed." I scooted closer to him on the bed. "I've been terrified my whole life..of the one person supposed to keep me safe. My mom died when I was six, hell, I don't even really remember what she looks like anymore. He tried to say she was crazy when she filed for divorce and tried to get custody of me. Not too long after that... She died. And I was all alone. I didn't have anyone to save me. That day we pulled into your driveway, I realized I had to save myself." I put my head on his shoulder, ignoring the metallic smell from all the blood. "I'm scared, Jed. This's all new to me and I ain't gonna lie, I'm scared. But I've never had anywhere feel like home to me. Not 'til now."

"You...scared of me?" He asked gruffly.

"No, not of you, Jed." I shook my head against his arm. Feeling dizzy suddenly, I let him go and stood from the bed. "We should get cleaned up."

"You go 'head first." He mumbled quietly.

"You sure?" I questioned, looking down at him. He still had his head in his hands, but he gave me a nod.

Turning away from him, I walked toward the stairs, starting up them. I glanced back at the boy sitting on his bed, head in his hands, and I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. _We're all a little broken...aren't we?_ I wondered, as I continued up the stairs.

* * *

 **Okay, so. There's Evelyn and Jed's first real bonding moment. I like the new spin that the 2017 Leatherface put on. Because it gives free range to kind of make a whole new Leatherface character. I thought really long and hard on how I wanted to do this, and having Jed be Jed/Leatherface was very intriguing to me. I love the idea that he's still that messed up scared kid, but he also snaps into what we know as Leatherface. It makes for an exciting story line !**

 **I would loveeee to give a huge THANK YOU to all the READERS/REVIEWERS/FOLLOWERS/FAVORITES ! You guys are absolutely amazing. I will be doing some shout outs soon on my twitter and Facebook page, so make sure you check it out !**

 **Thank you all for being the best readers !**

 **~Kaila**


	8. Chapter 8

_Tap,tap,tap._ The sound at my door made me sit up. I sat still for a moment, squinting at the bright light shining through my window. _Tap, tap, tap!_ The knocking was louder this time. "I'm up!" I called groggily. "Gettin' up.." I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Trudging to the door, I opened it, rubbing my eye with my left hand.

"Good mornin', birthday girl!" Verna chirped, as if nothing horrific ever went on around here. If it weren't for knowing what I knew, I would have thought it was the perfect life.

"Mornin'." I forced a sleepy grin.

"Didn't get a chance to ask you about cake... You like chocolate?" She asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Chocolate's my favorite." I replied truthfully.

"Good. No chores today, you just enjoy your day."

"Really? You sure?" I asked, waking up a bit.

"Yes, I'm sure.." She nodded.

"Can I wake Jed up?" I felt a smirk on my lips. If there was anyone I wanted to spend my birthday with, it was him.

"He's already up." Verna smiled. "He's somewhere outside." She waved her hand, before turning to walk back down the hall.

I shut my door and grabbed a white shirt from my bag. Throwing on a pair of overalls, I put on my socks and shoes before leaving my room, shutting my door behind me. Walking down the hall, I exited the front door, the morning heat hitting me like a wave. Inhaling the fresh farm air, I started toward the steps, but noticed someone to my left. The older man was sitting in his rocking chair, eyeing me.

"Mornin'!" I chirped, giving him a smile.

"Birthday, huh?" The older man growled out. "Happy birthday, kid."

"Thank you!" I called sweetly, taking the stairs. Walking out toward the dirt drive, I hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out where Jed might be. I wasn't sure where to start, so I just started walking toward the cow pasture. Once I reached the wire fence, I walked slowly along it until I noticed I was getting farther from the house. Turning to the right, I headed toward the back yard of the house, soaking up the view of the farm land around me.

I had seen a few different farms in my life, but the Sawyer farm had the most beautiful land. The air, though hot, was fresh. As I got closer to the back of the house, I stopped for a moment. My mind had been a never ending swirl of thoughts since I had bolted from the truck that day. But in that moment, under the searing Texas sun, I felt weightless. Like a dandelion seed floating in the wind. In that moment my mind was clear, soaking up everything that had happened for the first time since I had gotten here.

"Happy birthday." Jed's gruff voice startled me, and I turned to see him standing behind me.

"Thank you." I said quietly, my eyes on his. He watched me for a moment, smirking lightly, his eyes darting to the ground. He started to turn and walk away, but I lurched forward toward him. "Hey, wait..." I stepped closer to him, a grin coming to my lips. "You got any old tires around here? Some rope?"

"Maybe." He mumbled, his eyes showing slight curiosity.

"Where at?" I asked, knowing exactly what I wanted for my birthday. He turned away and started walking around the house. Still grinning, I followed behind him as we made our way around to the front of the yard. He led me past the pigs, taking us farther out into the tall grass. It was nearly to my waist as I trudged through it, keeping close to Jedidiah. We made our way through the tall grass for what seemed like forever. Looking up, I saw a barn up ahead. "Long walk.." I muttered, as we stepped onto a dirt path.

The boy in front of me said nothing as we trudged to the barn. He opened the door and stepped inside, me right behind him. The barn had an odd odor, the smell making me grimace. Trying to brush it off, I glanced around at all the tools and things scattered about. The air was heavy and thick, making it hard to breathe. There were chains strung up near the center of the barn, giving it an eerie feeling that hit me right in the gut. Jed grunted, catching my attention away from the chains.

He was holding a pretty decent size tire. "Some rope on that table." He nodded his head to the side, motioning for me to look. Stepping over to the table to his right, I grabbed the thick rope, looping it in my hands so it wouldn't drag the ground. Jed started back out of the barn and I followed quickly behind him, not wanting to be left alone in there. Closing the door behind me, I walked quickly to close the gap between us. I stayed beside him as we made our way back toward the house.

It felt like an eternity before the house finally came into view. I was sweating, the blaring sun making me squint as we stepped out onto the dirt path leading up to the house. I realized the dirt driveway probably led to the barn, but Jed had taken a short cut, lucky for us. Taking the dirt roads would have taken much longer.

Jed dropped the tire by the porch, glancing at me. His hair was matted at his forehead from sweat, and I had to force myself to stop staring at him. Shifting my weight, I swallowed before putting on a smirk. "That tree." I pointed across the front yard to a large tree out toward the pasture. He gave me a look, causing me to laugh lightly. "Oh, come on! It _is_ my birthday."

He grabbed up the tire, shaking his head. His muscled arms caught my eye, and I quickly looked at the ground as I started to walk toward the tree in the distance. _What... Am I thinkin'?_ I fussed at myself, conflicted about the way I was feeling. _It's just.. Just what? Somethin' about him._ I sighed quietly, wondering if I was crazy. Pushing the thoughts away as we reached the tree, I looked up at the limbs. "Hmm.." I hummed, trying to find the thickest branch.

 _I guess that'll do.._ I thought, my eyes on a branch that nearly as thick as the hole of the tire. It looked sturdy enough to me. Tying a loose knot at the end of the rope, I held one end and hurled the knot toward the branch. To my surprise, it actually went over on the first throw. Untying the knot at the other end, I turned to Jed, who stepped over to me with the tire. He lifted it a bit, and I wrapped the two ends of the rope around the tire in opposite directions. Tying a knot, then another, then another, I continued knotting the rope until the ends were too short to keep knotting. Pulling on the tire, the branch barely moved above. Giving Jed a satisfied grin, I climbed onto the tire, sticking my legs through so that I was in a sitting position.

"Thanks for the help." I grinned at him. Swinging my legs, my feet barely touching the ground to give me something to push off of, I got myself moving. Jed watched me for a few seconds, before smirking. _Yet to give me that smile.._ I shook my head slightly, closing my eyes as the tire swing moved back and forth. I leaned back, holding onto the rope, letting my head fall back. That weightless feeling returned to me, and with my eyes closed I wondered if this was how it felt to fly.

Lifting my head, I opened my eyes to the bright sunlight. Squinting, I could see Jed walking back toward the house. Frowning slightly, I leaned into the tire as it swung, watching him go. "I dunno if I'm ever gonna figure you out.." I murmured quietly, as he took the stairs and disappeared inside.

* * *

"Happy birthday to you.." Verna and the boys, along with Grandpa, were singing cheerfully as she stepped toward the table with a chocolate cake. Candles were lit, the flames flickering brightly. "Happy birthday to you.. Happy birthday, dear Evelyn.." I glanced up to see Jed standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. He was mumbling along to the others singing. "Happy birthday to you!"

"Make a wish." Verna smiled sweetly, setting the cake down in front of me. _I wish.._ I snuck another glance at Jed, who was watching me, before blowing out my candles. The boys and Verna clapped and laughed, before she began cutting the cake. "Birthday girl gets the first slice." She laid the piece of cake on a plate, handing it over.

"Thank you, it looks amazin'." I said sincerely, grabbing my fork.

"What'd ya wish for?" Chop Top grinned, taking his slice of cake.

"You don't tell birthday wishes." Verna teased her son. I gave him a grin, before taking a bite. The delicious chocolate flavor hit my tongue, reminding me of why it was my favorite. I ate another bite of the moist cake, looking up at their mother.

"It's real great." I took another bite and her smile turned into a grin. She cut one last piece for Jed, walking over to her youngest son and handing him the plate. He hovered in the doorway, eating his piece of cake without a word.

"This is good, Mama." Chop Top said surely.

"Thanks, baby." She touched his head before walking over to the sink. I finished my cake, listening to the boys talk. Jed left the doorway, coming into the kitchen to place his plate in the sink. I stood, walking over to do the same. I stepped up next to him, putting my plate on top of his. Bumping him with my shoulder, I gave him a light smile, before turning back to the others.

"Let's play a game." I suggested, to which the others quieted at my words.

"What kinda game?" Nubbins seemed intrigued.

"It's gettin' dark out.." I made a face. "Hide-n-seek."

"Really?" Drayton mused.

"I'm game!" C.T. stood from where he sat. "Aw, come on. It's her birthday, after all."

"Why not?" Nubbins stood and Drayton did as well.

"What's the rules?" Chop Top asked as we started outside. "Mean, don't this game have some sorta rules?"

"I guess so.." I trailed off for a moment. "We'll play like tag. You get found, you gotta run. You get tagged, you're it. Now... What can we use as a base?" I looked around in the dimming light. The sun was no longer visible in the distance.

"How about the truck?" C.T. pointed over to their vehicle, parked on the grass.

"That'll work." I agreed.

"Who's gonna be 'it'?" Drayton asked, looking around at all of us. Jed was standing back, quiet.

"You're the oldest." Nubbins looked at him.

"So?" The older brother gave him look.

"I think that's fair." C.T. chuckled.

"All right, all right.. Fine. But you little shits better hide good, for your sake." Drayton had an oddly wicked smile on his face.

"Threats make the game even more fun." C.T. raised his eyebrows as he jogged by me.

"One...Two.." Drayton began counting.

"Oh, shit.." I giggled, running around the back of the house. In a panic, I wasn't sure where to hide, so I doubled back and made a dash for the tree in the distance. Dodging the tire swing, I ran around the tree and pressed my back against it, trying to flatten myself against the trunk. My heart was thudding loudly in my chest as I leaned frozen against the tree.

I couldn't hear Drayton counting anymore, and I lifted my head up slightly to listen. I was met with silence in the darkness. Breathing slowly and quietly, I tried to focus on any sound, ready to run if needed. Seconds passed and I was contemplating running to the truck. I thought about it for a moment, wondering if I could make it or not. Feeling brave, I moved around the tree, running for the truck.

"Evelyn?" Drayton's voice rang out from somewhere behind me. "You better run!" I could hear his boots thudding against the ground. I let out a little scream as I put on a burst of speed. Laughing, I ran by the porch, slowing as I made it to the base. Jed was at the truck, sitting on the tail gate. I was still laughing when Drayton reached us.

"Of all the damn places to hide, you choose the tree?" Drayton was breathing hard.

"I panicked!" I managed to say through my laughter. "It was an obvious place, so I hoped you wouldn't look there." I shrugged, and Chop Top started laughing.

"Fucker caught me." He admitted.

"Ooooo," I cooed, "that mean's you're it!"

"Assholes better hide good." He turned his back to us. "One..Two..Three.." He was counting fast.

Running around the house, I moved toward a groove on the side of the house between the little back porch and the wall. It was almost pitch black dark there, and I pressed against the house, hoping he wouldn't be able to see me in the darkness. Listening carefully, I heard a slight rustling sound close by.

I was ready to bolt when someone stepped up beside me, a hand covering my mouth. "It's me." Jed breathed, close to my ear. My heart was pounding as I leaned in close to him.

"You scared the shit outta me." I whispered, putting my hand on his shoulder. "Think we can make it to the truck?"

"Better run fast." He growled in a whisper. Pushing away from the house, I bolted around the back porch, Jed right behind me.

"JED?" I heard footsteps coming from ahead. I cut to the left, letting out a little scream of laughter as I ran toward the truck. I reached the front, slowing quickly to avoid slamming into the vehicle. I turned back expecting to see C.T. and Jed, but they weren't there.

"He's after Jed." Drayton appeared, putting a hand on the truck.

"Think he'll catch him?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Chop Top's fast, but... Jedidiah's faster." Drayton chuckled darkly.

"YOU LITTLE FUCKER!" I heard Chop Top yelling, his tone teasing as footsteps came closer to us. Jed reached the truck, breathing hard. His brother came up behind him, pushing his shoulder. "Little shit." He grabbed Jed, trying to put him in a headlock. The younger boy wrestled away, shoving his brother playfully. Chop Top chuckled, patting Jed on the back. "Well, shit. That was fun.. Hadn't cut up like that in a while."

"Me either." I let another laugh as we started toward the porch. "This's probably the best birthday I've ever had." I admitted, not thinking about the words I was saying.

"You're kiddin', right?" Nubbins looked over me. The porch light was on, showing his skeptical expression.

"Definitely not." I shook my head. "Thanks for playin', boys." I gave them a smile, before walking up the porch steps. I was sweating slightly, still breathing a little hard.

"You kids have fun?" Verna met us at the front door.

"Yes, ma'am." I was still smiling as I walked inside. Walking into the kitchen, I got some water and sat down at the table. Drinking slow, I began to cool off a bit. Nubbins and Drayton disappeared, along with Jed. C.T. came into the kitchen and made himself a glass of water, before sitting down.

"Glad you had fun, birthday girl." He grinned.

"I really did." I said quietly.

"Good." He nodded, drinking from his cup.

"And now.. I'm beat." I stood, taking the cup to the sink. "I'm gonna get some sleep. See ya in the mornin'." I started out of the kitchen.

"See you in the mornin'!' He called as I exited into the hallway. I caught Jed at his door about to open it.

"Night, Jed." I said softly, walking to my own door. He glanced back at me over his shoulder.

"Night." He said back, opening his door and closing it behind him. I stared at the closed door for a moment, before stepping inside my room. Walking over to my bag, I pulled out an over sized shirt and a pair of shorts, changing into them. Climbing in bed, I pulled the covers up over me and closed my eyes.

 _What a birthday..._ I smiled lightly before snuggling into my blanket.

* * *

 **I really loved writing this chapter. The birthday chapter was fun to do. I liked to show the boyish side of the brothers, acting like big kids despite being cold blooded killers... Cute, right ?**

 **Also, I'm going to address a comment in one of the reviews about Jed speaking. Luckily, in the new movie they leave it very open at the end. He suffers a gunshot wound to the face (instead of being born deformed and with a mental defect) so it gives me a window to write him being able to talk after his wounds heal. Which I love. I have all the respect in the world for the original TCM, but I adore Leatherface as well. I am loving the changes in the story and the portrayal of Jed.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has read this story ! Every READ/REVIEW/FOLLOW/FAVORITE is GREATLY appreciated. I hope you continue to enjoy all the little tweaks and twists and turns I create writing this. THANK YOU ALL !**

 **~Kaila**


	9. Chapter 9

I awoke to a cloudy day. It had been nearly three weeks since my birthday, the summer days dragging on. Though it was September, it felt like we'd never see cool weather. The days continued to be searing hot, making me wish the summer would just be over with. I was tired of burning up all day long, especially when there were chores to do. Considering I was living on a farm, I spent a considerate amount of time outdoors, running about to wash clothes, collect eggs, and other various chores that Verna gave me. Add in the Sawyer's extra activities, and it was like a true hell on earth.

Sitting up in bed, I threw the covers off and stretched, letting out a little yawn. Swinging my legs over the bed, I stood and walked toward my door. Opening it, I stepped into the hallway and padded sleepily to the kitchen. It was empty, quiet. Almost eerie. _Weird.._ I thought to myself, an odd feeling of dread building up inside of me. I tried to push the thought away, brushing off the feeling that loomed over me as I made my way over to the coffee pot.

I opened the tin can next to it, scooping out coffee grounds and dumping them into the filter. Pouring water into the back, I pushed the button to start the brewing. Sitting at the table, I propped my elbow on the table, my head leaning into my hand. Jed came to my mind and I let out a small sigh. Ever since my birthday, he had been distant. It was like he opened up a little bit, then closed himself off to the world. The only time I had seen him the past three weeks was when Verna sent me to wake up the boys or if she sent me down to get Jed when it was time for him to bring out the chainsaw.

The thought made my stomach knot. It was hard to understand how Jed was so shy and quiet one moment, then screaming and brutally murdering someone the next. The whole situation made me feel uneasy, but I couldn't help that something about Jed pulled me in. _We're just two kids livin' in a fucked up world..._ Still groggy from just waking up, I perked up slightly when the aroma of fresh coffee hit my nose.

 _Stop thinkin' about it.._ I scolded myself. _At least I'm not where I was before._ The coffee pot made a gurgling sound, interrupting my thoughts as the last bit of water made it's way through the coffee grounds, and I stood from my chair. Making my cup of coffee, I left the kitchen and made my way out onto the front porch.

Standing by the railing near the stairs, I looked out over the farm land. The clouds above were nasty and gray, looming overhead like a dark shadow. It looked as if rain might fall at any moment. Wincing slightly, I hoped that it wouldn't storm. _At least not bad, if it does.._ I wasn't a huge fan of bad weather.

"Look at that shit." Drayton's voice caused me to glance over my shoulder.

"Yeah, looks rough." I muttered, taking a sip of my warm coffee.

"Might make for a fun night...if it storms." His tone was dark, teasing almost.

"What? You gonna run around out there chasin' people in a lightenin' storm?" I mused, smirking to show I was poking fun.

"Best time to do it. Sets the mood." He played back, earning a laugh from me.

"I think I'll pass on that." I looked back to the sky. "No thanks."

"Don't tell me you're scared of a little storm." Drayton snorted.

"Mornin', kids." Verna stepped out onto the porch, saving me from Drayton's teasing. "Look at that mess.." She muttered, her eyes going to the cloudy sky. The wind picked up, blowing my short hair around.

"Definitely gonna be a storm." I said wearily.

"Evelyn, you wanna go out and gather the eggs?" She asked, her eyes still on the cloudy sky.

"Yes, ma'am." I turned away from the porch railing, ducking back inside the house. Drinking the remainder of my coffee, I put my cup in the sink and walked over to the refrigerator. Grabbing an empty carton, I left the kitchen once again. I stepped past Verna and Drayton, bounding down the steps.

I passed the pig pen, walking towards the side of the house. The chicken coop was quiet, no sounds coming from inside. Unlatching the little door, I ducked inside to see the chickens huddled in their little makeshift box nests. "Y'all don't like storms either, do you?" I asked softly to the chickens, as I started making my rounds to get their eggs. The first and second chicken gave no fuss, but the third one was not in a good mood, rustling it's feathers and squawking at me. "Stop that, you little shit!" I fussed quietly, waving the angry chicken off.

Grabbing the egg, I glared at the nervous bird, before moving on to the next. The eggs came close to filling the carton once I was finished. Feeling satisfied, I left the chickens and latched the coop door shut. I had the carton in my right hand, walking toward the porch, when someone yelled, startling me. I turned to see a dark haired girl walking up the dirt drive, waving her arm wildly at me as she came closer. "Hey! Hey, can you help me out?"

"Uhhh..." I fumbled over what to say, as I watched her jog toward me.

"Do you have a phone inside that I can use? My boyfriend's right out on the road tryin' to fix his stupid car." She laughed. "Told him that piece of shit ain't no good, but what do I know, huh?"

"You can use the phone." I forced a smile. "Come on." I led her toward the porch.

"Sorry to be a bother, but he ain't gonna fix it and it looks like a storm blowin' in." She followed me up the stairs. "Don't wanna get caught out in that."

"No, that'd be bad." I agreed, opening the front door. "It's no trouble, really. Come in, the phone's this way.." I took her into the living room, where Verna was coming from the kitchen.

"Well, who's this?" Verna gave us a dark smile.

"She's havin' car troubles," I turned toward her, "said your boyfriend's right down on the road, right?"

"Yeah..he is." She looked uncomfortable suddenly, and I noticed Drayton had entered the room.

"My son, here, is good with cars." Verna looked over at Drayton. "Why don't you go out and see if you can help that young man."

"Yes, ma'am." The older boy walked past the stranger and I, a wicked smirk on his face.

"I really don't wanna be a bother." The girl said surely. "Just need to make a phone call's all."

"Nonsense, it's no bother." Verna's tone was intimidating, despite the "nice guy" act she was putting on. "Why don't you sit down. My boy'll have that car problem fixed in no time."

"That car is awful." She sat down on the couch, hands in her lap.

"Gotta put these in the fridge." I tilted the carton slightly, before walking past the older woman toward the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator and put the carton in its place, before shutting it and turning to the sink. Washing my hands with soap, I dried them on the little hand towel that Verna had sitting out on the counter, before wandering back into the living room.

"Do you think your son might get the car fixed before the storm hits?" The girl asked worriedly, looking at Verna as I stepped back into the room with them.

"I'm sure he'll have it runnin' real soon." The older woman assured. "Evelyn? Why don't you go get Jed? Tell him we have company."

"Okay." I nodded, leaving the two alone in the living room. Stepping lightly down the hall, I reached Jed's door and took a breath. Exhaling slowly, I opened his door and started down the stairs. "Jed?" I called softly, halfway down the steps.

"Hn?" I heard him grunt. He was laying on his bed, and he turned his head toward me as I reached the bottom step.

"We have, uh..company." I said the words and immediately clenched my jaw. Because I knew what was about to happen.

Jed sat up on the bed, stretching slightly before standing. Without a word, he walked over to the table across the room, leaning down to grab the chainsaw. Picking it up, he started toward the stairs and I followed behind him. He trudged up the stairs and I walked up them slowly, not exactly excited for what was about to take place. When we reached the top, I shut his door behind me, before continuing down the hall. Just before Jed reached the living room, he yanked the pull cord twice, the chainsaw starting.

"What-what is that?" I heard the girl ask, just before Jed stepped around the corner. The girl screamed as Jed disappeared into the room. I could hear his footsteps stepping toward her, then the awful sound of him screaming and the saw ripping through flesh. Her screaming promptly stopped, and I forced myself to keep a straight face as I entered the room.

"Jed." I said his name, trying to pull him from the place he lost himself in when he became this totally different person. He was pushing the chainsaw up her mangled body, blood flying and splattering everywhere. "Jedidiah! You can stop now.." I walked up behind him, but not too close. "It's done, Jed." I spoke softly. "You can stop.." I grabbed the sleeve at his shoulder as he pulled the chainsaw up, flinging blood.

The boy let the chainsaw cut off, holding it in his hands. He was staring at what was left of the body in front of him. Her insides were scattered about around her body, making my skin crawl. The metallic smell of blood was in the air, making me nauseous as we stood there in silence. I noticed that Jed was shaking slightly, and I wondered if it was from the lack of control. He hung his head a bit, his eyes darting to the floor.

"You did real good, baby." Verna said quietly, standing. "Real good." Her expression was dark, despite the smile on her lips. I swallowed hard to keep from puking as I let go of Jed's shirt. He turned away from the dead girl, walking toward the hallway. I listened to his footsteps until I heard his door shut. "And you," Verna's eyes darted to meet mine, "are doin' your job quite well. I'm impressed."

"I'm really tryin'." I said quietly, before leaving her alone with the dead girl in the living room. I walked into my room and shut the door, leaning against it. _Is this... Is this really who I am?_

* * *

The question I had asked myself bothered me for the remainder of the day. It started to rain later in the evening, and I only left my room when Drayton knocked on my door to inform me that dinner was ready. I sat in my usual spot between him and Jed, putting on a brave face. I joined in conversation here and there, laughing at the boys as they talked about random things. Drayton changed the mood, however, when he began talking about Sheriff Hartman.

"Stupid mistake," he shook his head, "just got the wrong one that time."

"The state is just backwards, is all." Chop Top frowned, looking over at me. "You know they wouldn't let Mama see Jed at all? For ten years."

"Yeah, she told me." I said quietly. "That must've been hard."

"Finally got a court order, then they spun it all around sayin' that they needed to go through their documents in order to know which one was Jed. It was bullshit." Verna growled. "They knew."

"Damn right, they knew." Drayton agreed angrily. "You caused quite the uproar at the Gorman House." He chuckled.

"I just wanted my boy." She shrugged. "We got him back, though.. Didn't we?" She smiled warmly at Jed. He said nothing, just picked at his food in silence.

"Back in Alabama, they put my mother under evaluation because John said she was on drugs and tryin' to kill me. I don't remember much about her, so I don't know if she was on drugs.. But I surely don't remember her ever tryin' to hurt me." I frowned slightly. "They took his side for whatever reason, I'm guessin' because he had money. And then later she died and that was that."

"Shit.." Chop Top shook his head. "That sucks."

"Yeah, well.." I offered a light shrug. "Bastard got what he deserved in the end."

"I'd say." Nubbins was staring at me. "We heard all that yellin' outside and was gonna send Jed out, but we saw you pick up that crow bar and... I didn't think you were really gonna do it."

"Why not?" I asked curiously, giving him a look.

"Just didn't look like the killin' type." He replied.

"I guess people surprise you sometimes, huh?" I gave him a grin and he snorted.

"Still gotta ways to go." He teased.

"I think I'm doin' all right!" I played back, and the other boys laughed. Except for Jed.

"All right, all right..." Verna gave us a motherly expression. "You kids finish your dinner before it gets cold."

* * *

 _"You're still my little girl?" His voice seemed to echo through my ears. I was running through my old neighborhood, the sound of him running behind me forcing me to move faster. People stood in their yards, in the street at their mailboxes, at the end of their driveways, just watching me. No one made a move to help me, not even when I began screaming for help._

 _"HELP ME! PLEASE!" I was breathing hard as I ran, everyone staring at me as if I weren't even really there. It was like they were looking right through me. When I didn't hear his footsteps thudding loudly on the pavement behind me anymore, I slowed, turning to see him standing in the middle of the road._

 _He was a good distance away, maybe fifty feet, give or take. I noticed something in his hands, and I knew what it was as soon as he began to pull the cord. Yank, yank, yank. The chainsaw came to life on the third pull. I felt frozen where I stood, unable to move as he just stared at me. Revving the saw, he suddenly lurched forward running toward me._

 _I screamed._

* * *

 _BOOOOOM!_ I jolted straight up into a sitting position, my heart pounding in my chest. Lightening danced across the sky, the flash lighting up my entire room from the window. Another deafening crash of thunder echoed outside, causing the hair to stand up on the back of my neck. I sat still for a moment, trying to catch my breath. My room lit up again, and within seconds, the boom of thunder followed. It was so loud that my body felt the vibrations.

Throwing the covers off, I scrambled out of bed and tip toed to my door. Twisting the knob carefully, I opened it and peeked out into the hall. The house was eerily silent until another flash of lightening hit, causing me to get moving. Quickly but silently shutting my door, I crept down the hall to the door at the end. Grabbing the knob, I twisted it and opened the door as another flash of lightening left me blind for a moment in the dark house. I stepped through the doorway as the thunder roared, shutting it behind me.

"Jed?" I whispered, padding softly down the stairs. "Jed!" I reached the bottom step, seeing him sprawled out on his bed. "Jed!" The boy's head snapped up to look at me. Suddenly, thunder clapped louder than ever, and I ran toward his bed.

"What are you-" Before he could finish, I cut him off as I reached his bed.

"Move over!" I whispered, grabbing his covers. He rolled onto his side propping up on his elbow, making room for me, and I moved the covers to climb into his bed. I took note that he was shirtless when my arm grazed his bare chest. The boy beside me didn't move, and when another hard rumble of thunder shook the house, I pulled his covers up to my chin before moving closer to him. "I don't like thunderstorms." I whispered, glancing up at him. He was still on his side, and I could barely make out his face in the dark.

The rumbling outside was loud, making the whole house vibrate. I didn't realize until I was lying still that I was shivering. Jed finally moved off of his elbow, laying flat on his side. He said nothing, just stared at me wearily before moving to lay on his back. _BOOOOOM!_ The thunder clapped loudly once more, shaking the house. I moved closer to him, my face close to his as he watched me. "Thanks, Jed." I whispered, before rolling over on my side, facing away from him.

I had complete trust in him that I had nothing to worry about. Relaxing as I snuggled into his covers, I could feel his arm barely touching my back. It was soothing, having him next to me, not being all alone. The thunderstorm raged on outside loudly, but the horrible dream and the loud thunder were slowly fading from mind. Feeling safe and warm, I closed my eyes.

And for the first time in a long time, I welcomed sleep.

* * *

 **Poor Jed. He doesn't know what to think about Evelyn at this point. But he definitely knows she isn't afraid of him, and I think that kind of puts him in a place where his feelings get mixed up.**

 **I am loving writing this. It's so fun to create my own little story out of this great movie. If 2017 brought me one good thing, it was this movie !**

 **I would like to give a huge THANK YOU for the positive feedback and support I'm getting with this. You readers are absolutely amazing. Every READ/REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW is greatly appreciated.**

 **~Kaila**


	10. Chapter 10

I awoke with a start, forgetting for a moment where I was. In the dim lit room I could see the table across from me, remembering that I had left my bedroom last night. _The thunderstorm.._ The familiar scent of Jed's room came into my senses, and I rolled over easily, afraid of waking Jed. He was lying on his back, his head of short messy hair titled slightly toward the wall. He appeared to be asleep, his breathing quiet and calm. Moving slowly, I eased the covers off of me and sat up on the bed.

Standing, I padded softly toward the stairs. I put my hand on the railing before taking the first step, looking back at the sleeping boy in his bed. _Thank you for that.._ I thought, before heading up the stairs. Opening his door, I crept down the hall back to my room. Once inside, I shut my door and changed out of my sleep clothes. I stood by my bed for a moment, wondering if anyone knew I had left my bedroom last night. _Hopefully not!_

I forced myself to move, leaving my room. Once in the hallway, I made my way to the kitchen, my thoughts swirling in my head. Jumping out my bed and into Jed's wasn't something I would have ever done before. I wasn't used to being around boys really, and living with the Sawyers was a whole new experience for me. Having someone like Jed in my life was not something I ever expected. There was something about him that was different from the rest of his family.

Drayton seemed to like me from what I could tell. We were slowly growing closer with each day that passed. C.T. had befriended me right away, never showing any concern or weariness of me. Nubbins was another story, however. I could tell he tolerated me, at most, but he still showed that he was skeptical about me being in their lives. I could see it every time someone had to die or when certain comments were made in my direction. He always watched me to see how I would react. It was like he was waiting for me to slip up.

Verna was just... Verna. She treated me like her own, to an extent, but I could see some of Nubbins behavior in her as well. She didn't make it nearly as obvious, I think she actually tried to keep it hidden. But sometimes her tone with me changed or she made little comments and would watch me with careful eyes to see how I reacted. I understood it, I really did. It's not like I was family. I was just some strange kid they took into their home for some odd reason that I still didn't understand.

And Jedidiah. I still hadn't figured him out yet. I didn't know if I ever would. He was wired different than the others, I could tell that much. But I had seen him show the same brutality that I had seen from his brothers and mother. I had seen Jed do worse. I watched him rip people apart, limb by limb. I watched blood splatter and run, entrails and organs ripped out of bodies as the blade tore through them. All because they wandered onto the property. Or I brought them there.

And despite watching Jed kill person after person, he still never ceased to amaze me with how he was such a normal boy at other times. How shy he was, his eyes darting to the floor when you spoke to him. I found that I loved the small part of him that still held onto who he was before he had been dragged back into this family. The night of my birthday was the first time I'd seen him show the slight hint that he was having fun. The boys had surprised me that night. I hadn't expected any of them to agree to play hide-n-seek with me. But it showed me a part of Jed that I hadn't experienced yet. Even if it was just a small part.

I walked over to the coffee pot and turned it on. I sat down at the kitchen table and yawned, leaning my head down to rest on my arm. Within minutes the smell of coffee hit my nose, and I raised an eyebrow. I could feel myself waking up even more. My thoughts were still tumbling around my head, making me feel conflicted and confused about how I felt. With the Sawyer farm, the boys, Verna, Jed, everything. I didn't know how to feel about it. One moment it felt like a nightmare and the next it felt like home.

"Fuckin' Christ.." Drayton's voice floated through the air in a throaty growl. He stomped into the kitchen, freezing for a moment when he saw me.

"Everything okay?" I asked, my eyes locking on his.

"Damn storm... Wind got high last night, tore down some fencin' at the cow pasture." He replied, shaking his head. "Gotta get it fixed before the cows get out."

"I can help." I chirped, sitting up.

"Pfft." He snorted.

"Seriously, Drayton.. I'll help, I don't mind." I stood from my chair. He stared at me a moment before throwing his hands up.

"Fine, sounds good. Let me get some fuckin' coffee first." He walked over to the pot.

"Yeah, you're welcome." I teased, earning a light chuckle.

"You go wake Jed up? I could use him, too."

"Uh, sure." I nodded, turning away quickly to hide the blush threatening to creep along my face. _Why do I do this?!_ I cursed myself, moving quickly down the hallway. Reaching the door at the end of the hall, I opened it quietly, walking down the stairs. "Jed? Jed, you up?" I called to him as I reached the bottom step. He looked up at me from where he sat on the bed, still shirtless, leaning against the wall. "The storm messed up the fence down at the pasture. Drayton needs help, so..." I trailed off.

The boy moved from where he was sitting, standing from his bed. I could see the muscle in his arms flex slightly as he moved, grabbing a shirt from the little drawer near his bed. He was facing away from me as he started to shrug into the shirt. His shoulder blades showed off his toned back as he pulled the shirt over his head and down his body. When he started to turn back toward me, I looked down quickly, avoiding his eyes. I said nothing, just made my way back up the stairs, Jedidiah's footsteps behind me.

And out we went. The three of us left the house and headed down to the cow pasture. As we got closer, I could see exactly where Drayton was referring to, the fencing completely destroyed. Pieces of wood were lying on the ground, barbed wire sticking up all over the place. "Geez, it _is_ a mess..." I muttered, peering over at the torn fencing.

"Mess, pfft, more like a damn wreck." Drayton fussed. "Jed, go get some of that scrap wood behind the house." He instructed, to which Jed trudged off in that direction without a word.

"What do you need me to do?" I asked, hand on my hip. The day was cloudy, a cool breeze blowing in the air.

"Start gettin' these ruined pieces out the way." He muttered, stepping toward the torn apart fence. I walked over to the fence, glancing up to see the cows a good distance away from us. "Damn animals don't even know enough to get out through here.."

"Maybe they feel safer in the fence." I suggested, grabbing a large splintered wooden plank.

"Maybe." Drayton's eyes darted up to mine. "Maybe so."

"Where do you want this?" I picked the plank up, a chunk falling off.

"Just make a pile away from the fence. I'll deal with it once we get this mess fixed." I walked away from the fence quickly, dropping the heavy piece of wood on the ground. He and I continued moving the debris as Jed came walking toward us with an armful of fence posts. He dropped it by the large hole that had been made, before stalking off toward the house again.

We had gotten the pieces of ruined fencing out of the way and Drayton began setting up to rebuild what had been torn down. Jed and Drayton put the posts in the ground, and then I helped Jed hold the posts in place while Drayton secured it with the barbed wire. He was wearing thick gloves, wrapping and using pliers to handle the sharp wiring. The wind was blowing, picking up again, causing Drayton to pause and look up at the sky.

"Shit, we better not be gettin' another one like last night. Not after this.." He growled, glaring as he looked back down at the wire in his hands.

"Everything all right?" Verna's voice rang out, and we all three looked up to see her moving swiftly toward us.

"Yes, ma'am, just the wind last night..." Drayton called to her. "Tore up the fence!"

"Looks like you kids got it handled.." She stopped a few feet away. "Drayton, we gotta get everything ready for the trade."

"We still goin'?" He looked slightly confused, his face scrunched in question.

"Yes, we are." Verna nodded. "Chop, Nubbins, you and I."

"The trade?" I asked, looking from Verna to Drayton.

"Once a year they do this big trade fair south of here. 'Bout a two day drive." Drayton explained before looking to his mother. "What are we takin'?"

"Two cows, two pigs, some chickens." Verna replied. "The items we've collected, jewelry and such."

"We got that trailer, should be able to haul the animals without too much fuss." Drayton finished the last string of barbed wire. He stood from the fence, pulling on it a bit. It didn't budge. "Well.. Would ya look at that.."

"Just like new." I chirped, giving him a slight grin.

"Thanks for the help." Drayton scratched his head, looking from Jed to me, then he turned toward their mother. "It's comin' soon, right? Week or so?"

"It starts in eleven days. I'd like to get there the day of." She turned toward me. I still had my hands resting on the post, listening to them talk. Jed was standing at the post on the other end of me, his eyes on his mother. "We're gonna be gone for about eight or nine days. You think you two can handle that?" Her tone was thick with worry.

"I'm sure Jed, Grandpa, and I will be fine." I looked over at him.

"How about we go over everything over a good lunch? Y'all worked right through breakfast." She smiled. "Fence looks great."

"I'm starvin'." Drayton started away from the fence.

"Figured you would be." She touched his shoulder and turned to walk with him. Jed and I followed the two toward the porch. "I'll get lunch made, why don't you sit out here and cool down. I'll bring it out." Verna suggested as we reached the porch.

"Wanna sit with me on the swing?" I whispered the question to Jed. Drayton sat down on the steps, as Jed and I walked up the stairs past him toward the porch swing that C.T. had put up a few days prior. Sitting on the dark wooden swing, I soaked in the cool breeze blowing against my skin as Jed sat down on the other end beside me. The three of us sat in silence until Verna came out with a large tray.

She had made sandwiches for us, giving Jed and I our plates first, along with two bottles of Coca-Cola. The glass bottle was cold in my hands, the metal top already taken off. I took a sip of the bubbly liquid, my throat burning slightly at how strong it was. I hadn't had a coke in a long time, so I savored the taste happily. My plate in my lap, I put my bottle on the porch below my swing before grabbing my sandwich and taking a bite.

"What if one of them sideways cops show up here while we're gone?" Drayton broke the silence after he was nearly finished with his sandwich. "Think you can handle him?"

"I'm not scared of no cop." I said confidently, catching his eye.

"It wasn't the cop I was worried about." The older brother glanced at Jed.

"We'll be fine." I said surely.

"You're sure?" Verna asked with concern in her voice. "One of the boys can stay behind, if needed I can arrange that."

"We will be fine." I laughed lightly. "I think Jed and I can take care of everything for a few days. Anything happens, we'll take care of it."

"She's right, we'll be fine for a few days." Jed spoke up gruffly. His brother and mother looked at him, before looking at each other.

"Okay..okay." Verna nodded. "But I want you to stay at the house while we're gone. No need for you goin' up to the road." She said to me. "I'd feel better with you and Jed stayin' in the house, layin' low 'til we get back. Just in case anyone shows up here..you'll have the upper hand inside."

"I can do that." I agreed. "I think that's a good idea."

"There's plenty of food." She assured, her tone so motherly.

"Mama, I'm sure Evelyn ain't gonna let Jed and Grandpa starve." Drayton chuckled playfully.

"I know, I know." She hit him playfully with the kitchen towel she was holding. "I'm a mother, I worry." She still had a light smile on her face. "It's my job."

* * *

The days seemed to fly by. Before I knew it, the early morning of their departure had arrived. Drayton and Chop Top were out rounding up the cows. Nubbins was backing their larger truck and trailer up to the cow pasture gate. I watched the boys in the distance from the front porch, shivering slightly at the cool morning air. They got the cows loaded, then when Jed came outside, they moved on to the pigs. Verna had gathered up the chickens she had decided would go, putting them in cages to load into the trailer.

It didn't take them too long to get the animals loaded up, and then they were preparing to go. Verna had already packed their bags for the week and put them into the truck before they started with the animals. Chop Top had volunteered to drive their other truck behind them just in case anything happened. I saw them walking toward the porch and I stood from the swing, making my way over toward the steps.

"Jedidiah, you sure you don't want one of us to stay?" Verna asked quietly, staring at her son.

"I'll be fine." He replied gruffly, glancing up at me from where he stood at the bottom of the stairs.

"You two be careful, you understand me? No chances." She warned, looking from her youngest son to me.

"No chances." I agreed. She gave Jed a hug, pulling him down to her level and kissing the side of his head quickly. When she pulled away from him, she reached her hand out to me. I took it and she gave me a light squeeze.

"See you two in a few days." She let me go, turning away from us. The sun was just rising over the horizon, the sunrise coloring the sky.

"Be good, kiddos." Drayton smirked, and I waved him off.

"Be careful on the road!" I called to them, as they reached the truck. C.T. waved to us as he got into the smaller truck behind the others. The engines came to life, the first truck pulling away with the large trailer behind it. Chop Top followed, and they drove down the dirt driveway. I glanced down at Jed, who was watching them disappear from sight. "Guess it's just us." The boy glanced up at me and I offered a half smirk. "You hungry? I can make breakfast.."

Jed nodded, starting up the stairs. I turned and walked toward the front door, stepping inside and Jed shut the door behind him. Grandpa was still in his room, probably sleeping. Jed veered off from me, heading down the hallway toward the old man's room. I made my way into the kitchen, walking over to the stove. Pulling out a pan, I hesitated for a moment, wondering what I should cook. Noise behind me pulled me from my thoughts, and I turned to see Jed helping the older man sit down at the kitchen table. Once the man was seated, the boy moved around him to sit in his usual spot.

He sat down, his eyes darting up to meet mine. I gave him a playful look, before turning back to the stove. Deciding on pancakes, I set about making the batter for our breakfast. _Well...let's see how this goes.._

* * *

 **Ohhhhh, snap... Jed and Evelyn are home (almost) alone. I mean, Grandpa can barely do anything, so they're basically home alone.**

 **I have some interesting chapter ideas ahead. I am loving writing this story !**

 **I have to give a HUGE SHOUT OUT/THANK YOU to my amazing readers. The feedback on this story has been absolutely incredible ! You guys are awesome.**

 **~Kaila**


	11. Chapter 11

I did some chores around the house, cleaning up here and there. Laundry was washed and hung up to dry. Dishes were washed, chickens fed, and eggs gathered. I tried to take Verna's advice and stick close to the house. I didn't want to wander far, the fear that someone might come to the house weighing heavy on my mind. My anxiety had heightened to a whole new level being alone with Jed. And it wasn't him I was really worried about. It was other people that made me nervous.

The day had turned to dusk, the sun slowly setting behind the fields. I cooked a quick dinner for the three of us and we ate in silence. Grandpa just stared off into space as he ate slowly, making me wonder what was on his mind. I noticed Jed glancing at me now and then, his eyes tired. Weary. Despite assuring his mother that he'd be fine, he seemed tense. I understood the feeling, hoping with everything inside of me that no one showed up on the property for the next few days.

After dinner, I washed the dishes we had used as Jed helped the older man back to his room. Drying the last plate, I turned and started out of the kitchen. Jed met me in the hall, his eyes on mine. "Thanks for dinner." He mumbled, his eyes glancing away then back to me. He had an odd look on his face, as if he wanted to say something.

"You're welcome." I said quietly, shifting my weight. "I guess I'm gonna wash up and go to bed."

"Night." Jed said, turning away from me to head toward his room.

"Night, Jed." I called softly to him as he continued to his door without looking back. I frowned slightly as I watched him go, thinking back to the night that we had the storm. "Stop.." I whispered, shaking my head.

Grabbing fresh clothes from my room, I took a warm bath. It felt good to relax a bit, though I was still on edge, every little noise making me nervous. I felt that Jed could handle it if someone came along, but the thought of police making their way back around scared me. I wasn't scared of the cops, but I was scared of what they would do to Jed if they found him. Sighing, I tried to push those thoughts away as I stood and stepped out of the tub.

Drying off, I put on a t-shirt and shorts before leaving the bathroom. Dumping my dirty clothes in my basket, I walked over to my bed and sat down on the edge of it, my bare feet flat on the wooden floor. I knew that I needed to turn off my light, pull down the covers, and go to sleep. That's what I needed to do. But the thought of trying to fall asleep in the house with everyone gone and Jed downstairs... "I'm a big girl.." I assured myself, pulling down my covers. Turning off my light, I jumped onto my bed and pulled the covers up to my chin.

And I tossed. And I turned. I couldn't fall asleep, not even close. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw things I didn't want to see. The house was eerily silent, every sound forcing my eyes to snap open. _I'm never gonna fall asleep!_ I winced, closing my eyes again. I tried to think of something happy, and the only thing that came to my mind was Jed's blue eyes.

Sitting up, I threw the covers off and sat there for a moment, trying to decide what to do. I knew going downstairs wasn't something I should do, but the memory of the night of the storm kept coming back to me. It was the first time in a long time that I actually got a good night's sleep. And every night after had been different. It was hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep with nightmares plaguing me. Even Verna and C.T. had commented on how tired I had looked the past few days.

"Oh, fuck it!" I muttered, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. I left my room, padding softly down the hall to Jed's door. Grabbing the door knob, I twisted it carefully, opening the door without a sound. Closing it behind me, I moved quietly down the stairs. "Jed?"

"Yeah?" He was obviously wide awake, his gruff voice not sounding tired at all.

"I, uh...can't sleep." I admitted sheepishly, walking toward his bed. His room was dark, but I could see him laying on the bed. He moved over without a word, making room for me next to him. I laid down beside him, pulling his covers up over my body. I could feel the warmth of the boy next to me as I breathed him in, every part of me calming. "Jed?" I rolled over to face him. He was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

"Huh?" He replied quietly.

"Thank you for lettin' me sleep in here with you." I whispered, closing my eyes. The boy beside me said nothing, but that was okay. I knew sleep would come easy.

* * *

The next morning I woke to an empty bed. Confused, I sat up, looking around the room. Jed wasn't in sight, and I yawned before pushing the covers away. Swinging my legs over his bed, I stood and walked toward the stairs, taking them with light footsteps. His door above was cracked, and when I reached it, I pushed it open and stepped out into the hall. The house was eerily silent, concerning me slightly.

"Jed?" I called out, as I walked down the hallway. Reaching the stairs, I passed them, making my way into the kitchen. Jed was sitting at the table, his hair wet and slightly messy. The smell of coffee was strong in the air. "Mornin'." I mumbled, stepping into the kitchen. His eyes met mine as I walked over to the table, the sunlight flooding through the window making his eyes bright and blue.

"You, uh..." He trailed off for a moment. "Didn't wanna wake you."

"You made coffee?" I grinned, stepping around the table toward the counter.

"Mhm." He grunted quietly. I made a cup, then sat down at the table. I took a sip of the warm liquid, feeling it warm my chest.

"Perfect way to start the day."

* * *

I made breakfast for us, and afterward Jed took Grandpa out to the front porch to sit in his rocking chair. The older man was quiet, making incoherent mumbles here and there. I was starting to worry about him, wondering if he was okay. The man was old, after all. I sat in the swing, watching him mumble to Jed, who spoke to him every now and then. The boy just talked to him like one would a child. It was sweet, yet sad.

After Jed disappeared inside, I washed some clothes and Jed's bed sheets. Tidying up around the outside of the house, I moved things around a bit, straightening up some of the junk in the Sawyer's yard. The day passed by swiftly as I made my way back inside, cleaning the kitchen thoroughly. The evening rolled around, and I knew it was getting close to dinner time. Looking around, I put a hand on my hip. _I know I saw one around here somewhere..._ I thought, leaving the kitchen.

Sure enough, on a little table in the living room was a radio. Unplugging it from the wall, I lugged the bulky machine into the kitchen, setting it on the counter. Plugging it into the wall, I turned it on and began twisting the dial to find a decent station. A familiar tune hit my ears and I stopped turning the dial. Smiling, I sang along to the song as I started to prepare dinner.

"I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when.." I sang softly, grabbing a pan. "Well, I'm stuck in Folsom Prison and time keeps draggin' on.." I turned on the stove, humming as I walked to the fridge, pulling out the container that Verna had left for us. "Well, I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.. When I hear that whistle blowin', I hang my head and cry."

Cooking away, I danced around the kitchen, singing along to the songs I knew and humming to the ones I didn't. I was nearly done cooking, when I turned to see Jed standing in the doorway of the kitchen. I felt my face flush, hoping he hadn't seen me dancing. Turning back to the stove, I reached over and turned it off. "Dinner's ready." I said, focusing on the plates in front of me. When I glanced over my shoulder, I noticed Jed was gone. Elvis Presley's 'It's Now or Never' was playing as I set the table and brought the food over.

Footsteps caught my attention as Jed walked back into the kitchen with Grandpa, who was walking slowly. The older man made it to his chair, the boy beside him helping him sit down. Grandpa had a smile on his face, his head bobbing slightly to the music. "You like Elvis, huh?" I sat down at the table as Jed put food on the old man's plate.

"Yeah..yeah." He grumbled happily, grabbing his fork. Jed had a smirk on his face as he sat down next to me, making his own plate. The three of us ate, listening to the songs that played on the radio throughout our dinner. I didn't mind the lack of conversation. The music playing and a warm dinner was good enough for me. If there was one thing that ever brought me joy in my miserable life, it was good music.

We finished eating, Grandpa muttering to Jed that he wanted to go to bed. Jedidiah helped the man up and they disappeared from the kitchen. Drinking the last bit of water I had in my cup, I stood from my chair and began gathering up the plates to take to the sink. _"Don't break the heart that loves you so.."_ The tune on the radio made my lips twitch upward.

"Don't break the heart that loves you..handle it with care." I sang softly, turning back to the table I grabbed the cups and silverware, moving back to the sink. "Don't break the heart that needs you.. Darlin', please be fair.."

 _"Why do you flirt and constantly hurt me? Why do you treat our love so carelessly?"_ I had a plate in hand and was about to turn on the sink, when Jed stepped up beside me, startling me. I looked up at him, my lips twitching upward at the sight of him.

"You cooked.. I, uh..got it." He took the plate from me.

"You sure?" I asked, my eyes on his. He was turned inward toward me, close enough that I could feel the warmth of his body.

"Yeah." He replied quietly, his voice gravelly.

"All right." I touched his arm gently. "I'll see you later tonight." I turned away, leaving him alone in the kitchen. Once in my room, I gathered up some clean clothes and headed to the bathroom.

Once inside, I paused at the mirror, staring at my reflection. My hair was growing out a bit, just past the base of my neck. My dirty blonde roots were showing. I hadn't noticed them coming out, but there they were. Frowning, I ran my fingers through my short hair. I hadn't seen my natural hair color since I was twelve years old, and something about it made me take a breath. Slowly, I was beginning to put my awful past behind me. Once my hair grew out a little more, I'd ask Verna to cut it.

After a warm bath, I dressed in a large t-shirt and shorts before stepping back out into the hallway. I stopped by my room to drop my dirty clothes in the basket, then peeked into the kitchen. It was dark, no one in sight. Turning from the doorway, I headed back down the hall, stopping by Grandpa's room. Opening his door, I peered inside, seeing the older man lying on his back with his eyes shut.

 _Goodnight.._ I thought, not wanting to wake him as I eased the door shut. Taking a breath, I walked to Jed's door and opened it. Closing it behind me, I started down the steps. I looked up as I reached the bottom, seeing Jed lying on his bed on his side, facing the wall. I wasn't sure if he was asleep or not, so I stepped quietly to his bed, carefully moving the covers down. Climbing in beside him, I pulled the covers back up over my body, feeling warm from the heat of Jed's body next to mine.

We weren't touching, but we didn't have to. The warmth of his body, the soft blanket, the pillow that smelled just like him... It all relaxed me in a way I had never experienced before. I had no words to explain it, it just made me feel at ease. It made me feel safe, a foreign feeling for me. And the trust I put into him terrified me, as I was used to being betrayed by everyone I ever knew. No one had ever saved me before, so how was I so sure I was safe now? I didn't, but I couldn't deny the way he felt next to me.

No, I didn't have to say anything as I drifted off to sleep. Because until proven otherwise, I would give him the benefit of the doubt. I would hope that he was just as he portrayed to be. I would trust in him, even if it scared the shit out of me.

* * *

"No...no.." I awoke to mumbling. Jed was still facing the wall, but he was jerking slightly in his sleep. "Stop.." He mumbled. I sat up, leaning over him. His body twitched as he mumbled in his sleep.

"Jed." I spoke softly, shaking him carefully. "Jed, wake up!" He was shaking. "Wake up, Jedidiah!" I said a little louder. The boy jerked awake, rolling toward me with confused eyes. "You were havin' a bad dream, I think." I whispered sleepily.

"I.." He trailed off for a moment, his eyes on mine. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to wake you." He mumbled groggily, and I could still feel him shaking slightly.

"I have them, too." I said quietly. "Bad dreams." Jed said nothing, just glanced away and I could feel him exhaling slowly. "Are-are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He muttered, rolling back on his side. I hesitated for a moment, taking a breath. I wasn't sure if I should, but I decided to do it. Grabbing his shoulder with my little hand, I pulled him back toward me. His eyes met mine, confused, sleepy, weary. Without a word, I moved his arm, laying my head between his shoulder and chest. I put my right hand just above his heart, and I could feel it hammering under my hand. His body was tense, but I understood. I was a little tense myself. I'd never done anything like this before.

Closing my eyes, I could feel his chest rising and falling under my hand. It soothed me, made me feel like this was natural. Like we weren't really who we were. It was like being somewhere else, being someone else. Just two kids, sleeping, keeping each other safe and warm. There was nothing else in that moment, nothing.

* * *

 **Hey, guys. I apologize for the update wait. I have been struggling a bit with my depression, and it's been a rough past couple of weeks.**

 **But I'm back with chapter eleven and I'm super excited to be updating for my lovely readers ! Don't forget to like my Facebook page (Kaila Britt Fanfiction) and/or follow me on Twitter ( kailabrittFF). I post updates on chapters, picture edits, shout outs and all kinds of stuff for my Fanfiction page.**

 **The songs used in this chapter: Connie Francis 'Don't Break the Heart That Loves You', Johnny Cash 'Folsom Prison Blues', and the mention of Elvis 'It's Now or Never'.**

 **I am so excited to be writing this story. I love Jed and I am loving this whole new Leatherface story line that I can play around with. To answer a question asked in a review, it is rated MA for the reason that eventually there will be some mature content between Jed and Evelyn. Let's be honest, they are teenagers, it's bound to happen ! But it's not something that I want to throw together, it's going to be one of those realistic moments of "it happens when it happens", meaning that it will probably be a moment where neither of them are expecting it. I really want the readers to see/feel their feelings toward each other grow, so I don't want to rush anything.**

 **I would like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to check out this story. You guys have been nothing but supportive with the nicest things to say and I couldn't be happier that you're all enjoying this story. Thank you to every REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW/READ ! You are all amazing and inspire me to keep writing.**

 **~Kaila**


	12. Chapter 12

I jerked awake raising my head, noticing that the room was cooler than before. My head had still been on Jed's chest, his hand resting on my shoulder. He was sound asleep, his breathing quiet and calm. I froze for a moment, taking in the boy beside me. I felt a smile creep onto my lips as I watched him lying there asleep, his dark blonde hair a bit messy from his pillow. The scars along his face did not take away from how handsome he was. _Anyone who thinks so..they'd have to be crazy._ I thought, leaning into him as I tugged on his shirt. "Jed... Jed, wake up." I rested my chin on his chest as his eyelids fluttered open.

He squinted, moving his head to glance at me. I gave him a little smile, before lifting my head and moving closer to him. My face was close to his, his eyes on mine in the dim lit room. "Mornin'."

"You're warm." I leaned my head back down, my cheek resting against his neck.

"Hn." He grunted, his hand leaving my shoulder as he moved to roll onto his side. I moved back to my pillow, looking up at him. He was on his side facing me, propped on his elbow as his eyes met mine. I raised an eyebrow in question, wondering why he was looking at me like that.

"Hello!" A strange voice rang out from upstairs, causing my to bolt upright into a sitting position.

"Helllllloooo?" A girl's voice called playfully. "Anyone homeee?"

"What the shit, Jed?" I asked in a hushed whisper. "Did you not lock the door last night?"

"We never lock the doors." He shrugged, a smirk on his face. I jumped up and tip toed to the stairs.

"You stay!" I put my hand up. "Let me get up there and see what we're dealin' with, then I'll...come get you. Be ready!" I darted up the steps without waiting for him to answer. Opening his door without a sound, I saw a man standing in the front doorway, his back to me. A blonde girl was coming from the living room area, heading toward the guy.

"I don't see anyone-"

"Uh, hi?" I spoke and the two whirled around, obviously startled.

"Someone's home after all!" The guy, who couldn't have been but a few years older than me, grinned as he stepped inside the house.

"Yeah, I was sleepin', uh... Do you walk into everyone's homes without knockin'?" I asked casually, stopping at the stairs to lean against the wooden banister.

"How old are you, kid? Surely not old enough to be home alone.." The girl's tone was laced with concern.

"I'm seventeen, actually." I countered and she snorted.

"So grown up." Her sarcasm held no malice, only teasing.

"And I'm..I'm not alone." I felt the need to let them know that for some reason.

"Your parents around? We're lost, you see, and this idiot is _not_ good with directions!" She pointed at him with her thumb.

"My parents aren't here, but my, uh..my friend is downstairs." I faked a polite smile. "I'll go get him." Turning away from them, I walked quickly to his door, opening it and bounding down the stairs. Jed was standing by the railing at the bottom, chainsaw in hand, and when I reached the bottom step he was right in front of me. "It's just a guy and girl." I whispered. "Lost, lookin' for directions." He started up the steps past me, but I grabbed his arm. "Jed, wait!" He looked back at me, annoyance and confusion on his face. "You-you don't have to do this.."

"You know I do." He said quietly, but I held onto his arm.

"You don't, I can..I can get rid of them. I can give them directions and they'll just be gone. No one'll even know they were here." I assured him. "No one would know."

"Whoaaaa, sorry, old man!" I heard the girl's voice outside in the hall.

"Shit.." I muttered, shaking my head as I let him go.

"They would know now." Jed started back up the stairs, bursting through the door when he reached the top. _Yank, yank!_ The chainsaw came to life as he ran down the hallway, the thumps of his boots nearly as loud as the chainsaw in his hands. I could hear screaming and yelling, but it stopped abruptly outside the house. Another shrill scream echoed through my ears from outside, and I knew he was either killing the girl or was about to.

I stood frozen on the stairs as the sound of the chainsaw outside made me grit my teeth. I heard no other sounds, and within a few seconds the chainsaw cut off. It had been so loud that I had the sudden irrational fear that someone might have heard it. Forcing my legs to get moving, I bounded up the steps. When I reached the top, Jed was standing in the doorway of the front door, holding the saw limply. His once white t-shirt was covered in blood in splatters. Blood was splattered on his face, neck, and arms.

"We should probably clean that up." I said quietly, walking toward him.

"You sure it was just the two?" Jed growled out the question.

"I didn't see anyone else." I replied. "Their car out there?"

"Nah uh." He shook his head.

"If there was anyone else, they'd probably be at the road. Fuck it. If they make their way here, we'll handle it then." I walked past him. "Jesus.. Shit, Jedidiah." My eyes skimmed over the mess in the front yard. The two hadn't gotten far. He'd killed the guy just a few feet past the steps and the girl only a few more feet away. The mangled bodies made my stomach churn, and I swallowed hard to keep from being sick. I didn't think I'd ever get used to it.

"Ev'lyn?" Jed had stepped back out onto the porch, watching me with worried eyes.

"What do they usually do with the bodies?" I asked, walking towards the girl.

"I got it." Jed put the saw down, his boots thudding on the steps of the porch as he lumbered down them.

"Well..what do you want me to do?" I turned toward him as he stepped up to me. His face was bloody, the blood turning darker red as it began to dry in some places.

"Take my chainsaw downstairs, grab some matches." He instructed. "When you get back, burn what I leave."

"Okay." I said, my voice almost a whisper. I walked past him, trudging up the stairs. Grabbing the chainsaw, I teetered a bit when I picked it up, caught off guard by the weight of it. "Geez..." I muttered to myself as I lugged the bloody chainsaw down the hall toward Jed's room.

I reached his open door and walked down the stairs carefully. Once I reached the bottom, I put his chainsaw in its usual spot, before taking a breath and turning back to the stairs. Taking them quickly, I was back in the hallway, making my way towards the kitchen. I had seen Verna pull matches out from one of the drawers in there, but I couldn't remember which one. Stepping inside the kitchen, I frowned as I tried to remember which drawer she had grabbed them from.

I moved toward the kitchen drawers, opening the one closest to me. Shuffling through it, I found no matches. Moving on to the next, I did the same only to find nothing. Giving the drawer a dirty look, I side stepped to the third one, opening it. The box of matches was the first thing I saw and I smirked, snatching them up. I left the kitchen and headed back to the front door, stepping back out onto the porch.

Squinting in the sunlight, I shivered at the cool air nipping my skin. Taking the stairs, I walked out into the yard, glancing at the pile of clothes on the ground. There was a lot of blood on the ground, but no bodies. "You got anything warmer to wear?" Jed's gruff voice startled me, making me jump as I whirled around to face him. He trudged toward me, his blue eyes meeting mine.

"No." I admitted quietly.

"Come on." He turned away from me, walking toward the porch. Despite what had just taken place, I couldn't help but feel my stomach flutter at the thought of him worrying over me. The dip in his step made me smirk slightly as I followed behind him toward the stairs. Inside the house, we made our way down into his room. I stood by the stairs as he walked over to the chest of drawers across the room.

Opening a drawer, he dug through it, grabbing a red flannel shirt. Though mostly a dark red, there were gray and white colors added into it, and I knew that shirt. I had seen Jed wear it before. It looked good on him. "Here, it's warm." He stuck his arm out, handing the shirt over to me.

"Thank you." I shrugged into the over sized flannel, the thickness warming me instantly. "I'd better get that stuff.." I turned away and started up the stairs.

"You know where to burn it?" Jed called up to me as I reached the door.

"Yeah!" I called without looking back. I walked straight down the hall and out of the front door. In the yard I took a breath before bending down to gather the bloody clothes. The sticky feeling of the damp bloody shirts made me nauseous, but I clenched my jaw and walked around the house to the backyard. Dumping the bloody clothes into the barrel, I noticed something fall out of the pocket of the jeans the boy had been wearing.

It was a dark brown leather wallet. Reaching down into the barrel, I picked it up carefully, opening it. The pouch that held money was empty, but there was a license in one of the open faced pouches. I titled my head as I read the information. It was a Texas license, the name read, 'Edward Collin Miller'. There was a flap that held two pictures. One was of him and the girl he had been with, both of them dressed for what appeared to be a prom. Or some sort of dance.

Her blonde hair had been longer at that time, curled in perfect loose curls. The light makeup on her face seemed to be flawless, her big green eyes sparkling as she smiled. She was wearing a long flowing dress that had off the shoulder straps. It was peach colored. The boy next to her had on a black tuxedo, his tie the same peach color as her dress. He was smirking as if he knew the night was going to be the best of their lives.

Flipping the thin plastic cover over, the next picture revealed the same two again, but they looked different. Her hair was short, just at her shoulders as it was now. She had on a white graduation gown with purple and yellow drapes. He was lifting her in a hug, a bouquet of roses in her right hand. The moment had been captured perfectly. She had a wide smile on her face and it appeared as if he was saying something to her. I stared at the photo for a moment, before sighing and closing the wallet. I threw it back into the barrel.

Pouring a little bit of gasoline on the clothes from the can by the side of the house, I lit a match and dropped it in the barrel. Within seconds, the flames swooshedup, forcing me to take a step back. The heat from the fire made my face feel hot as I stood there watching it all burn. As I watched somebody's life burn away. Maybe that was being dramatic, but that's how it felt. His identity, the two pictures of him and his girlfriend, their clothes... It felt as if I were burning them out of existence.

Turning away from the barrel, I trudged around the side of the house and up onto the front porch. Inside, I shut the door, but didn't lock it. I wasn't sure where Jed was and I didn't want to lock him out of the house. Not hungry in the slightest, I still forced myself into the kitchen to make a late breakfast. Grandpa needed to eat something. Jed was probably hungry. But for me, the thought of food made me want to gag.

* * *

I spent most of the day finding things to keep me busy. I cleaned things that didn't even need cleaning. I washed clothes again, even though there weren't many articles of clothing to wash. I cleaned the kitchen thoroughly, again. And once there wasn't anything else to clean, I threw on a pair of jeans and found myself outside at the tire swing that Jed had put up for me on my birthday. Climbing into it, I sat with my legs through the hole of the tire, my arms resting over the side of it as I leaned into the rubber.

I didn't swing my legs, I just sat swaying slightly. The cold breeze against my nose made my eyes water slightly, and I turned my head away from the wind. I knew the sun would be setting soon, but I didn't want to move from the tire swing. Because in that moment, I felt the same feeling that I had felt the previous night falling asleep on Jed. Like I was somewhere else. Someone else. Like none of the bad and frightening things ever happened and it was all just a bad dream or something.

"You all right?" Jed's voice called out to me, and I lifted my head to see him trudging across the yard toward me.

"I'm fine." I called back softly, watching him come closer.

"Really." He was watching me with a mix of concern and curiosity.

"Really." I smiled. He stepped over to me, grabbing the large rubber tire with both hands.

"Hold on." He growled, giving the tire a hard push.

"Ahhhh!" I squealed as I clung to the tire. He grabbed the tire and swung me hard, sending me spinning and swinging. I hunkered into the tire, laughing as I spun. I had adjusted to the pull from the fast spinning, and I leaned my head back, looking up to the sky as I spun. The tire was swinging back and forth and it spun me in circles. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to fade away for a moment into the spinning.

As the tire swing began to slow, I opened my eyes. Jed was standing a few feet away, hands in his pockets as he watched me. I felt my face warm up and immediately hunkered back into the slowing tire swing so he wouldn't see the blush creeping up my neck. Taking a breath of cold air, I let myself relax as the tire swing swayed slightly. Lifting my head again, I gave Jed a grin, before looking off into the distance. "Sun's goin' down." I noted. "Beautiful..isn't it?"

"Yeah." He said gruffly, never taking his eyes off of me. I clenched my jaw to keep my face from heating up again.

"Guess I should make dinner." I muttered, climbing out of the tire. My feet hit the ground and I turned to face Jed. "You hungry?"

* * *

I had the radio on as I began preparing to cook. Jed was sitting at the kitchen table in silence, drinking a cup of coffee. I had one as well. I loved to drink coffee on cold nights, and it usually didn't keep me up all night. In fact, it kind of made me sleepy, which was odd. My brain was swirling with thoughts, but they all seemed to calm when I glanced over at the quiet boy sitting at the table.

I hummed along to the radio, and when a familiar tune hit my ears, I lost all shame. Deciding to let my personality show was a huge step for me, considering I really didn't know who I was. I didn't know how I wanted to be or how I would have been if I'd had a normal upbringing. I was so used to hiding and being afraid all the time, I'd never had the chance to be anything else. I'd never had the chance to really be a kid and create myself. Instead, I'd always been a quiet and scared little girl. I had my moments where someone else came out when I wasn't around my father, but that had been rare. He had always kept strict tabs on me, never allowing me to be alone for too long.

"If you see me walkin' down the street," I whirled around from the stove to face him, frying pan in my hand, "and I start to cry.. Each time we meet, walk on by." I walked quickly, but gracefully, to the cabinet across the room. Jed tilted his head to watch me as I pranced by. "Walk on by." I sang, feeling giddy at my behavior. "Make believe that you don't see the tears. Just let me grieve in private, 'cause each time I see you," I moved fluidly back to the stove, turning to look at Jed, "I break down and cry." I sang with a grin.

He gave me a smirk as I turned away, singing and dancing along to the radio. I cooked dinner with no rush, enjoying his silent company and the lovely music echoing through the room. Once the food was done, Jed went to get Grandpa and I turned the volume down a bit. The older man had no complaints as he sat down and began eating quietly. I noticed when certain songs played, he would tap his foot along to the rhythm.

Once Grandpa had finished eating his dinner, Jed helped him to his bedroom. I had turned the volume back up and was washing dishes when Jed came back into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. I was trying to keep my eyes from darting over to stare at him as I finished washing the last fork. A very familiar tune came through the radio, making a smile form on my lips. I dried my hands and turned toward Jed, stepping over to him and grabbing his hand.

"I, uh..." He shook his head. "Don't..know how to dance." The shy boy I had first met was there. In his posture, his expression, his eyes. I grinned and put one hand on his shoulder, still holding his other hand with my right one.

"Neither do I." I giggled softly as his free hand went to my waist.

 _"Crazy... I'm crazy for feelin' so lonely. I'm crazy.. Crazy for feelin' so blue."_ We swayed softly in the kitchen, neither of us moving from the spot we were in. I started to relax a bit, leaning in closer to him, my eyes on his. He was looking down at me, his expression making it clear how unsure he was of this situation he was in. _"I knew you'd love me as long as you wanted. And then someday you'd leave me for somebody new."_

"It's not that bad, right?" I whispered the question, with a half smile. He shook his head softly, as we swayed to the music. _"Worry... Why do I let myself worry? Wonderin'..what in the world did I do? Oh, crazy for thinkin' that my love could hold you. I'm crazy for tryin' and crazy for cryin'. And I'm crazy for lovin' you."_ His blue eyes seemed to burn into mine suddenly, that shy expression still on his sweet face. He tilted his head slightly, leaning down closer to me.

 _"Crazy..for thinkin' that my love could hold you. I'm crazy for tryin' and crazy for cryin'."_ I felt my breath catch in my throat as I we swayed. _Should I?_ I started to raise up slightly on my tip toes. _"And I'm crazy for lovin' you."_

 _KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!_ The banging of a fist on the front door made me jump, my heels falling back flat on the floor. I looked up at Jed, his face confused and weary as he let me go. We walked over to the front door, and I peeked out of the curtain to see who was there. My heart began to race when I could see a police car out in the dark yard. Its headlights were on, the car still running. "Dammit.." I whispered, turning to Jed. "Go downstairs, it's a cop!" My voice was a hushed whisper. Jed turned away and quietly walked down the hall, stepping into his room, easing the door shut behind him.

 _KNOCK, KNOCK!_ He banged on the door. "Verna? Mrs. Sawyer!" He called from the other side of the door. "Police, open up!" Taking a breath, I put my shoulders back and opened the door, a rush of cold air meeting me as I did so.

"Can I help you?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.

"I need to talk to Verna." He was eyeing me with a hint of confusion.

"Verna's not home. You'll have to come back in a few days." I started to shut the door.

"Whoaa, there, Little Miss." He held up his hand to keep the door from shutting. "Maybe you can talk, then?"

"Uh, okay.." I stepped out onto the porch, shutting the door behind me. "What can I help you with?"

"I don't recall a young girl bein' here before.." He stated, cutting his eyes slightly.

"Verna is lettin' me stay with her." I said simply.

"You kin?" He asked and I frowned.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"You related to Verna or not?" He sounded annoyed, almost irritated, at my reluctance to give up the information.

"She's a family friend of my mother." I lied. "Mama had to go to New York for work and she knew she'd be workin' a lot. Didn't want me stayin' in the big city alone. So here I am." I shrugged. "Not so bad out here, really."

"Huh.." I wasn't sure if he believed me, but I really didn't care. "She's really not around? Know she don't take too kindly to law enforcement."

"She's really not here." I said flatly. "Her and the boys went out of town."

"All right, then." He nodded, his eyes darting around before looking back to me. "You seen anybody, a guy and girl stop by here anytime today? Maybe askin' for directions?"

"No." I said surely, hand on my hip.

"Well, I find that a bit odd. Their car's right up on the road back there, not far from the Sawyer driveway. Think it's a bit odd that they would stop and not come to the closest house to their vehicle." He was watching me, his expression different. His whole demeanor was different.

"Look, I haven't seen shit all day." I fussed, wrapping my arms around myself. It was freezing suddenly.

"Tell me, uh, what's your name again?"

"You never asked for it."

"I'm askin' now, ain't I?" His voice was a bit harsh.

"Evelyn."

"Evelyn, tell me why there's blood all over the ground, there." The officer pointed his flashlight to the dirt and grass across from us.

"You ever heard of coyotes?" I didn't miss a beat. "One of them stupid ass cows got out last night and I woke up to that shit." I growled.

"You saw the coyotes?"

"Well...no." I said quietly. "But what else could it've been?"

"That's a lot of blood for a cow."

"Wasn't much cow left." I challenged him with my tone, letting him know my story wasn't changing.

"Why don't we go inside and talk, looks like you're a little cold." He suggested, though his tone sounded more like he was demanding.

"I don't have any information about what you're lookin' for. So if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go inside and go to bed now." I started for the doorknob.

"I'd feel better takin' a look around inside." The cop said surely and I froze, glaring at him.

"There's no one in there except Grandpa Sawyer. No one came knockin' on my door today, I didn't see anyone at all. There's no one here." I fussed. "You're lookin' in the wrong place."

"Then it won't be a big deal for me to take a peek around the house." A sly grin formed on the officer's lips. "Or I could call in for back up, get a warrant, have this whole farm crawlin' with cops." The thought made my heart race, but I knew I had to remain calm.

"You'll just be wastin' everybody's time. Fine, you wanna take a look around?" I opened the front door and walked inside. "Go for it."

* * *

 **Ahhhh, cliffhangers are the best, aren't they ?**

 **Evelyn handled that well, I think.**

 **What did you guys think of their little moments in this chapter ? I am just loving creating their relationship. Like..he's Leatherface, but damn. They are so cute, right ?**

 **Songs: Dionne Warwick 'Walk on By' and Patsy Cline 'Crazy' (disclaimer, don't own those !).**

 **I have to give a hugeeeeee shout out to my ABSOLUTELY AMAZING readers ! Every single READ/REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW is greatly appreciated and inspires me to keep writing ! You guys are awesome, seriously. I'll definitely be doing a Facebook and Twitter shout out soon. I'd like to do a video or Facebook live with you guys one day !**

 **Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter !**

 **~Kaila**


	13. Chapter 13

"So just you here, out on this farm..all by yourself." The officer walked inside behind me, closing the front door.

"No, I told you that Grandpa is here." I muttered, turning back to the cop.

"Sorry to be rude, I should formally introduce myself." He stuck out his hand. "Officer Miles Taylor."

"Okay, Officer Taylor, well..." I turned away, not bothering to shake his hand. "Take your look around so I can take my ass to bed."

"How old are you, anyway?" He asked, as I walked toward the kitchen.

"What does that matter?" I made my way into the kitchen, him following me.

"Just answer my question, girl." He growled, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I froze for a moment, before forcing myself to continue what I was doing.

"Seventeen." I replied quietly, trying to ignore him as I made coffee.

"You know what I find funny?" He walked around the table, leaning against the wall to my right.

"No, I don't." I said flatly, grabbing a coffee mug from the cabinet.

"We got a missin' persons report a while back. Man named John Whelan," the name made my blood run cold and I clenched my jaw to keep a straight face. "Said to be travelin' through Texas to see a friend. His sister reported him missin' when he never showed up back home."

"That's funny?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, nah, that's not the funny part." He lifted his hand, making motions as he spoke. "It's the fact that he was travelin' with a girl named Evelyn, his daughter, who was sixteen years old."

"Uhhh, you think that's me?" I huffed out a half laugh. "My last name's Gallagher." I turned back to the coffee pot. "I don't know any John."

"You know, we had an officer disappear not too long ago." He moved from the wall, stepping over to me. I glanced at the counter, seeing the frying pan that I had set out to dry earlier. "He said he was gonna ride out to the Sawyer farm, see if that Sawyer boy that escaped made his way back here."

"You're talkin' about Jed, right? The youngest?"

"Yeah. That's the one." He nodded, a little too close to me. I didn't like it one bit.

"Well, I haven't seen Jed since we were little kids." I muttered, stepping around him to get the milk. "Wanna know what I think?"

"What's that." He stated, crossing his arms as I walked back to the counter where my cup was.

"I think.." I trailed off for a moment, grabbing a spoon from the drawer. "Your cop killed Jedidiah and ran off to avoid the consequences. He was hell bent on revenge, he didn't care what happened to him. I think he murdered Jed and skipped town." I put three spoonfuls of sugar, then stirred the coffee.

"That don't make no sense, Hartman wouldn't just skip town." He growled.

"No? Why? Why wouldn't he?" I looked up at the cop. "Think about it for a minute, would you. He blamed Drayton, right? That's what I was told. So he got Jed taken away and then when Jed got out, he saw the opportunity to get revenge on Verna." I poured milk in my cup and stirred again. "Makes perfect sense."

"Naw, that ain't how it happened. I dunno how or what went down, but I know it wasn't that. And the other officer?"

"I don't really understand why you're questionin' me when I told you I don't know. I never saw any police out here, hell, you're the first one I've seen since I got here. I don't know a John Whelan, I haven't seen anyone askin' for directions, and I sure as shit haven't seen Jedidiah. 'Cause let's be honest, that's why you're really here, right? You got some crazy idea that your sheriff is missin' and...and what?" I laughed.

"You better watch your little smart ass fuckin' mouth, what you best do." He said, his voice angry as he stepped toward me.

"I let you in here," I stood my ground, "answered your questions, let you see there ain't nothin' to see. You can go now." I took a sip of my coffee before putting the cup back on the counter.

"You sure you ain't kin to Verna? 'Cause you sure are a bitch just like her."

"You can take that gun of yours and shove it where the sun don't shine." I scowled at him. He lunged at me suddenly, grabbing my arm. "GET OFF ME!" I screeched, trying to wrench my arm free.

 _Thunk..thunk..thunk..thunk._ The sound caused the officer to stop struggling with me, but he still held my arm as he listened to the footsteps coming down the hallway. "The fuck is that?"

I gave him a wicked half grin, snatching my arm out of his grasp. "Maybe that's everything you've been lookin' for." He turned toward the doorway and in one swift movement I grabbed the hot coffee and threw it in his face before snatching up the frying pan and swinging it at his head. The sound of the metal hitting his skull was loud and the man crumpled to the ground. I leaned down quickly to grab his gun from his belt, and when I stood, Jed was standing in the doorway of the kitchen with his chainsaw in hand. He raised his eyebrow slightly, giving me a questioning look.

"What?" I asked, still holding the frying pan in my hand. He said nothing, only gave me a smirk before stepping into the room. I moved around the man lying on the floor, opening one of the lower cabinets by the sink. Underneath was some pieces of rope, stained from previous use. I grabbed them and turned back toward Jed, who was dragging the man's body toward a kitchen chair that he had pulled out.

He lifted the cop onto the chair, holding the man up as I tied his wrists together behind the chair. I tied each ankle to the front legs of the chair before standing back up. Lifting my hand, I slapped the cop upside his head. "Hey!" I tapped his face hard. "Hello!" I glanced at Jed.

"Knocked the shit outta him." The boy mumbled. I gave him an innocent glance before walking to the sink and snatching up the coffee cup. I filled it with cold water and turned back toward the man, throwing the cold water on his face. He stirred lightly, water and blood running down his face as his eyes opened.

"Nice nap?" I slapped him lightly on the cheek. "Oh, shit, look at that... Looks like that fryin' pan hurt, huh?"

"Bitch.." He muttered, trying to focus.

"Yeah, yeah.. I've been called worse." I frowned as I took a step back. "Jed?" I looked over at Jed, who stepped closer to us. The cop snapped his head up, seeing the boy for the first time.

"What the-"

"This is Jedidiah Sawyer." I grinned.

"You said he-he.. You said he-you lyin' little shit!" The cop hissed, struggling against his restraints.

"Your beloved piece of shit, Sheriff Hartman, shot him in the face. So, uh..you know, he had to die. Then, that other dumb ass cop came pokin' around here talkin' about searchin' the place without a warrant and Verna couldn't have that. Jed killed him, too." I grabbed the boy's arm, pointing at him with my free hand. "You see him? You ain't ever gonna take him. None of you are."

"Jokes on you, you crazy little bitch. I got back up on the way." He laughed lightly, despite the situation he was in.

"You're lyin'." I called his bluff. "You never touched your radio."

"No, but I told one of my men I was drivin' out here this evenin'. Told him if I didn't come back... He'd know where to find me."

"Great." I gave him a sweet smile, letting Jed go. "If he comes stickin' his pig nose around here, well... We'll just kill him, too."

"You ain't gonna get away with this, you sick fucks." He said angrily and I frowned.

"Sick fucks? Really? Let's talk about the real sick fucks, here. Hm?" I cut my eyes at him. "Your revenge obsessed sheriff shot him," I pointed to Jed, "in the face, nearly killed him. And wanna know the kicker? He blamed Jed for all those murders, but it wasn't him. And he didn't actually kill Hartman's daughter." I tilted my head. "That was Drayton and Nubbins.. So all of that bullshit..takin' him away and puttin' him in that crazy house, chasin' him down and shootin' him.. You see how that ended for him. Same way it's gonna end for you and anybody else that comes through here lookin' for him. You're never gonna take him." I turned to Jed. "Do it."

The boy's eyes were on mine, his expression a little surprised. He hesitated for only a second, before grabbing up the chainsaw and walking toward the cop, who began screaming. Jed pulled the cord hard, the chainsaw coming to life on the second pull. I usually couldn't watch, I usually didn't want to watch. But this time, my eyes stayed on the officer's face as Jed brought the saw blade up by his chin. The man was trying to lean away, but didn't have much time to react as Jed brought the saw down into his chest with a yell.

The blade ripped through flesh, hitting and cutting into his sternum as Jedidiah dug the saw in and down his body. The man had stopped screaming, his insides visible. The saw blade was slinging entrails and flesh, blood everywhere. Jed was still yelling and cutting away, and I lurched forward to stop him. "Jed! Stop!" I yelped loudly, my hand grasping his elbow. "Jedidiah!" I shook his arm, but he didn't stop. "JED!" I grabbed the handle of the chainsaw, pulling it hard. His hands must have been slick with blood, because he let it go and I slung it across the kitchen floor to avoid the blade. It was still running.

Jed stared down at the cop's body, before slowly tilting his head to look at me. I said nothing as he pushed past me, leaning down to turn the chainsaw off. "Jed.." I turned around and stepped quickly toward him to close the gap between us, grabbing him in a hug. "They can't take you away. They can't take you away." I murmured into his chest, holding onto him tightly. His hand went to my head as he pulled back from me. His eyes were on mine, concern etched onto his face.

"They won't." He said gruffly, brushing his thumb across my cheek as he moved to lean down and pick up the chainsaw.

"You're right. They won't."

* * *

I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed the floor. Jed had taken the body off somewhere, leaving the clothes and everything he had on him in a burn pile. After I cleaned the kitchen, I grabbed the officer's radio, gun, and belt. I made my way out onto the front porch, taking the stairs quickly. The car's engine had been shut off, the keys still in the ignition. I figured Jed had turned the vehicle off while I was inside cleaning. Opening the driver's side door, I put the belt, along with his gun and radio, neatly on the passenger seat.

Ducking back out, I shut the car door and ran back to the house. Once inside, I gathered up the bloody torn clothing and left the house once again. Bounding down the stairs, I walked quickly around the house in the darkness, throwing the clothes in the burn barrel. I picked up the gas can, pouring gasoline all over the clothes before setting the can down. The matches were in my pocket and I pulled the box out, taking one. Striking the match swiftly, I dropped it in the barrel, watching the flames shoot up. Waves of heat made my face feel warm as I stared at the flaming barrel.

Footsteps behind me caused me to glance over my shoulder to see Jed walking toward me in the darkness. The boy stopped when he reached me, standing beside me in silence. He was covered in blood, sweating slightly. He had taken his long sleeve shirt off, only wearing a blood soaked white tank undershirt. His jeans were bloody as well, the glow from the fire giving him an eerie appearance. He glanced down at me, his eyes soft and calm. I gave him a slight grimace as I turned my head to look at him. "We gotta move that car back out onto the road."

"I'll do it." Jed started to turn away.

"Oh, no, no, no!" I fussed, and he stopped to look back at me. "I'm goin' with you.. But..uh, shouldn't you get outta those clothes first? You're gonna get blood in his car."

"So? It's his blood." He shrugged, trudging toward the front yard.

"What-Jed, no. Wait!" I followed behind him. "That's a bad idea." He looked back at me over his shoulder.

"If you're goin' with me..you'd best change, too." Jed said gruffly and I nodded. He wasn't the only one with bloody clothes.

Inside the house, we went into our own rooms. I changed quickly into fresh clothes and stood there for a moment, thinking about what the cop had said. He had told one of his men that he was coming out here. Which meant that surely someone was going to come looking for him eventually. I put my hand to my head, trying to devise a plan for what to do if that happened. Killing another officer was the last thing I thought we should do. There was already suspicion and attention on the farm as it was.

 _Tap, tap._ The noise made me jump, but got me moving. I opened my door to see Jedidiah standing there. He still had dried blood on his face, neck, and arms. But at least he was out of the blood soaked clothes. "We should take it far." I said quietly as we walked down the stairs.

"All right." Jed seemed to agree as we made our way to the car. Stepping around the vehicle, I opened the passenger side door and moved the cop's stuff to the floorboard. Sitting in the passenger seat, I rubbed my eyes as Jed got into the driver's seat and started the engine. He backed the car up and started down down the dirt drive toward the road.

"Another officer's probably gonna be out here tomorrow." I said, my voice barely above a whisper. He said nothing as he drove out onto the road. My brain was a swirling storm of thoughts as I worried over what had taken place tonight. I was quiet as he drove further away from the farm. He eventually pulled off on the side of the road, cutting the engine. We sat in the car in silence.

For a moment it felt like I couldn't breathe. Reaching for my door handle, I pulled it and got out of the car, closing it gently behind me. Leaning against the car door, I took a deep breath, holding it in for a few seconds before exhaling. I could hear Jed shutting his door, his footsteps coming around the car. He stopped just past the hood, his eyes on me as he stood there. Pulling myself together, I pushed away from the car, walking toward the direction we came from. Jed's footsteps were behind me on the pavement as we walked along the road.

"Wait.." I stopped suddenly, whirling around to face the boy behind me. He stopped, his eyes meeting mine, confusion etched on his face. "We should stay on the side of the road." I said quietly, and we walked over to the right side of the road onto the grass. I walked quickly, Jed keeping up just behind me to my left. He was so close that I could feel his hand bump mine every so often as we walked.

The night was cold, causing me to shiver as we continued back to the farm. It felt like we had been walking for forever, and I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever get home. The drive away had seemed to take only minutes. The walk back felt like an eternity. I wasn't sure if it was the fear of being seen or the cold... Or maybe both, but when I saw the dirt drive up ahead with the 'Sawyer Farm' sign above it, I felt my whole body relax. My feet hit the dirt driveway and I wanted to run.

So I did. I took off down the driveway, my footsteps thudding on the hard dirt. Flashes of that day came back to me, and I squeezed my eyes shut as I put on a burst of speed. Pushing the memories away, I opened my eyes to see the porch only feet away. I slowed down, reaching the porch and bounding up the steps. At the top of the porch, I stood slouched forward, trying to catch my breath. The cold air made my lungs ache slightly from my heavy breathing.

Footsteps made me look up to see Jed walking down the drive toward the porch. Standing up straight, I watched as he came closer. "Can we..never..do that again?" I asked, still trying to catch my breath.

"Hn." He grunted, taking the stairs. He was beside me, his face not amused.

"We should get..cleaned up." I muttered, turning around to walk inside. Jed followed behind me, locking the door behind him this time.

"Go 'head." Jed walked past me toward his room. Frowning slightly, I watched him disappear through his door. _What now?_ Is the question that kept popping into my head. _What's gonna happen? Are they gonna send more cops? Surely they will. They'll be lookin' for the officer that showed up tonight.. What do I do? We can't kill them all. It's too dangerous._ I shook my head.

Gathering up clean clothes, I slipped into the bathroom quietly, turning on the water of the bathtub. Turning away from the tub, I caught a glimpse of my blood speckled face. It wasn't too much, not nearly as bad as Jed. He was covered in blood. The thought made my stomach feel queasy, and I stripped out of my clothes quickly, stepping into the bathtub. The water was hot, causing chills to splay across my skin.

Sitting down, I brought my knees up to my chest as I sat in the filling tub. The hot water was rushing from the faucet, loud in my ears. _We have to be careful. So, so, careful._ The thought of them coming and finding Jedidiah... Taking him away... I couldn't take it. I couldn't take the thought of them taking him after all he had been through.

The girl that had come out tonight wasn't the girl I was used to being. But that officer crossed the line too many times and he had to go. There was no way in hell that he was getting out of this house alive after the things he had said and threatened. A whole different side of myself, one that I didn't even know existed, had come out when he had started in about Jed. It scared me a little, the way I was feeling about the boy with chainsaw.

But I knew one thing. No one was taking Jedidiah. No one. _I'll do whatever I have to do. Whatever I have to do to keep him safe from them._

* * *

 **Hey, guys, I am so so so sorry for the long update wait. I've had a lot going on and I'm just now getting back on track.**

 **I truly appreciate the amazing support I've received on this story. You guys are the best. I'm thrilled that everyone seems to really like Evelyn, as I wanted her to be that innocent likable young character. Hopefully her character development is starting to show slowly.**

 **Again, thank you guys so much. Every READ/REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW is SO greatly appreciated and inspiring. Much love, and I will be getting ch. 14 up sooner than later. I owe you guys big time !**

 **~Kaila**


	14. Chapter 14

"Jed?" I called, as I padded down the stairs to his room. "I'm done.." I reached the bottom, seeing him sitting at the desk across from me. I walked over to him, leaning against the desk. "Bathroom's free."

"All right." The boy beside me pushed away from the desk, standing up.

"You okay?" I asked softly, noticing that he had a troubled look on his face.

"Yeah." He turned away and trudged up the stairs. Letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, I stepped over to his bed and pulled the covers down. Despite the eventful day and night we'd had, and the fact that it was quite late, I wasn't sleepy at all. My brain was going and going, as it always was.

 _Why did he look at me like that? Somethin' is on his mind..._ I sighed, knowing that unless he wanted to bring it up, I'd never get it out of him. That was just the way he was. The boy without the chainsaw was much different from the boy with it. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking and feeling, he was so closed off most of the time. Quiet. Always so quiet.

I pulled the covers up to my chin, the room feeling colder suddenly. I laid there, waiting for Jed to come back downstairs. I closed my eyes, trying to relax and let sleep creep in, but I still felt wide awake. My mind drifted back to just hours earlier when Jed and I were in the kitchen alone. I couldn't believe I actually got him to dance with me. _He's so...gentle._ I thought to myself.

Seeing all that he had done and all that he was capable of, it was kind of odd to know the sweet side of him. I had watched him kill, over and over, tearing people apart with that damned chainsaw. Some of those people..innocent. Just random strangers that wandered up on the farm, wrong place at the wrong time. They never had a chance and they weren't even aware of it.

But then when he held my hand or touched me or allowed me to sleep on him... Every bad thing he had ever done just melted away and he melted me. I could never see him as a monster. Not after everything. He wasn't what Verna and his family pushed him to be. And yet he was, but he was also someone else and I just hadn't quite figured that part of him out yet.

Footsteps up above pulled me from my thoughts, and within seconds I heard Jed coming down the stairs. He was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, his wet hair slightly messy. I felt a smile forming on my lips that I could not stop. He threw his dirty clothes in his basket, glancing at me with a questioning look. I just looked away, shaking my head slightly. I had never felt this way before, giddy like a little kid.

I moved over in his usual spot by the wall, making room for him. He said nothing as he climbed in bed, laying on his back and pulling the covers over him. His body was giving off heat in waves, warming me almost instantly, even though we weren't touching. He stared up at the ceiling in silence, his expression showing that he was deep in thought over something.

"What was it like? Your life before Verna got you back?" I asked quietly, watching him intently.

"Hell." Jed muttered, glancing at me. "Spent most of it in the Gorman House, those kids were fuckin' crazy." His eyes darted back up to the ceiling. "Staff was just as bad, punished us by fryin' our brains."

"They used electric shock therapy?" I questioned, my gut wrenching at the thought.

"Therapy..pfft." He snorted. "It, uh, made me forget a lot. The meds didn't help. Shit, they placed me in foster home after foster home, each one worse than the last." Jed mumbled. "One time Hartman got mad at me over somethin' stupid that I didn't even do. Broke my nose just 'cause he wanted to.." He shook his head lightly. "Piece of shit."

"I'm sorry you went through all of that." I whispered.

"You?"

"Me, what?"

"Life before here?" He glanced at me again.

"Not much of one." I said, unsure of how much I wanted to tell. "Mom died when I was young. John was abusive in every way a person can be..." I bit the inside of my cheek. "He never actually..you know, but he threatened it many times. I knew he would eventually. So, I ran."

"Glad you did?"

"I'm glad I did." I said softly, moving to snuggle closer to him. "I'm freezin'."

"Ain't that bad." He said quietly, his voice gruff.

"Says the human heater." I muttered, as he moved his arm to allow me to get closer. I laid my head on his shoulder, relaxing against him. "I don't have have any memories of ever feelin' safe.. Until now."

"You feel safe here?" Jed's tone sounded skeptical.

"I feel safe with you." I replied softly. The boy beside me said nothing. I could feel his body rising and falling with every breath and there was something soothing about feeling him breathe. Closing my eyes, I moved my right hand up to rest against the nape of his neck. Comfortable, I allowed myself to drift off to sleep pressed against Jed's warm body.

* * *

I was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, listening to the radio playing softly. I had awoken that morning and decided not to wake Jed, leaving him to sleep while I began my morning. I made coffee and breakfast, the early morning sun shining through the kitchen window on the freshly cooked food. I could hear stirring coming from the hallway, and I figured Jed was awake.

My thought was confirmed when he came through the kitchen doorway with Grandpa, helping him to his chair. The older man had a happy smirk on his face, his eyes on the food in front of him. Jed, on the other hand... Had sleepy eyes as he sat down in his own chair, rubbing his eyes before putting food on Grandpa's plate. Once he finished, he filled his own plate and began eating.

It was the normal. The three of us ate in silence, listening to the radio. It wasn't their normal, but it had become our new normal. Grandpa seemed to enjoy our music filled breakfasts and dinners, as he gently tapped his foot along to the songs he liked. It felt like we belonged in these moments, and even though I was starting to grow close to the others, I still couldn't help but wish it could be like this always.

That couldn't be so bad. Just us three. Grandpa kept to himself mostly. And that left just Jed and I, which was when Jed seemed to be more of the boy I knew he was. When push came to shove, that killer came out in him, but when no one else was around... He was different, like he had nothing to prove. When Verna or his brothers were around he had to be one of them. But when it was just us... All he had to be was Jed.

I picked at my food with all those thoughts and feelings swirling around, when I felt eyes on me. I glanced up to see Jed watching me with slight concern in those blue eyes. I gave him a quick smile, before scooping up a bite of eggs and shoveling them in. _Please don't look at me that way.._ I thought. _I might actually have to tell you what's on my mind._

* * *

I had just finished cleaning the dishes from breakfast, when I heard a sharp knock on the door. My stomach twisted into a knot, my heart beginning to beat fast. "Calm down, Evelyn.. Just.." I pushed away from the counter. "Calm down." I whispered to myself.

"Police! Mrs. Sawyer?" I could hear the muffled voice through the door. _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"I'm comin', I'm comin'!" I yelped, unlocking the front door and opening it. "Can I help you?"

"Uh, I'm lookin' for Verna Sawyer." The officer was watching me with a curious expression.

"She's not home." I said calmly.

"It'll only be a minute if she-"

"She's really not here." I cut him off with a flat tone. "She and the boys went to the trade thing."

"Oh... Oh, yeah, that's right." He nodded his head. "Maybe you can lead me in the right direction then."

"Right direction?" I asked, leaning against the door frame.

"You one of Verna's kin?"

"Family friend." I replied surely.

"I didn't know Sawyers had family friends." The cop raised an eyebrow, but something about his demeanor didn't seem hurtful.

"I got lucky somehow." I grinned. "My mama and Verna were close growin' up. She wound up in the big city for a job and I wound up..here with the Sawyers."

"That's awful nice of her to let you stay."

"Oh, I help out around the farm, chores and stuff." I explained sweetly.

"Officer Hooper." The cop stuck out his hand. "Sorry for bein' rude."

"Evelyn." I said quietly, watching him wearily. I didn't make a move to shake his hand.

"Well, that's all right, ma'am." He pulled his hand back. "I just need to ask a few questions, then I'll be outta your hair. If that's okay with you?"

"Ask away." I stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind me. The cold air nipped at my bare legs and I regretted not changing out of my sleep shorts when I woken up. Lucky for me, I was wearing one of Jed's flannels and it was warm.

"Have you seen anything strange goin' on around here lately?" He asked, studying my face.

"Strange? No.. Well, maybe." I glanced out at the pasture. "Somethin' got one of the cows the other night, I thought it was coyotes..but.." I trailed off, baiting him.

"But?" Officer Hooper asked curiously.

"Now I'm not so sure it wasn't.. Somethin' bigger. Better put out an alert for other farmers." I nodded surely. "See all that blood out there?" I pointed at the dried rusty colored spots.

"I did notice that." He glanced back, before returning his gaze to me.

"Wasn't much left of her." I shook my head. "Perfectly good cow, too. Verna's gonna be pissed."

"I'll put out the word 'bout that.." He shifted his weight. "But when I said strange.. I meant more like..seen any people wanderin' around the property?"

"No, haven't seen any people." I replied, keeping my tone even.

"Any officers come knockin' on your door the past few days? We've had some folks reported missin'. Saw their vehicle down the road... And an abandoned police car a few miles down from here."

"I haven't seen any law." I shook my head again. "Maybe he found the missin' people. Maybe they ain't missin'.. Might've run into some bad apples." I gave him a concerned face. "Never know who you're gonna run into out here."

"That's true." Officer Hooper agreed. "I guess that's true... Well, if you're out here all alone, keep an eye out for yourself. Don't want to find yourself in some trouble."

"I keep the doors locked." I gave him a sweet smile. "And, well.. I grew up country. Think I might know a thing or two." That earned a chuckle from the cop.

"Well, Miss Evelyn, you see anything strange...off, give me a call?"

"Will do." I played as he turned away.

"You have a nice day, ma'am."

"Same to you." I countered, watching him walk down the stairs toward his car. I started back inside.

"Oh, and Evelyn?" He turned back toward me, causing me to stop and look back at him.

"Yes?"

"You haven't seen Jedidiah Sawyer around.. Have you?"

"No, not since we were little kids." I said sadly. "I sure do miss Jed."

"Sorry to hear that." The officer continued on to his car, getting in and driving away. I shut the door and locked it, leaning against the wood. Letting out a breath, I opened my eyes to see Jed at the end of the hall, his face questioning.

"It's okay, Jed." I called quietly, pushing myself from the door. I started down the hall toward him. "He's gone."

"Lookin' for that cop?"

"Yeah." I nodded, reaching him. "He was...different..than the others."

"How?" Jed asked, his eyes on mine.

"I dunno, he was... He wasn't pushy like the other cops. Asked me a few questions, then he just..left." I gave the boy in front of me a light smile. "Kinda nice, not havin' to deal with the usual copper bullshit." He snorted at my words.

"Fuckin' cops.." He muttered gruffly, his eyes cold.

"Hopefully they won't come around for a while." I offered, trying to ease his mind.

"Gotta feed the pigs." Jed mumbled, walking past me to head for the front door.

"Need help?" I asked, turning to watch him walk toward the door.

"No." He muttered. I watched as he walked out of the front door without looking back.

* * *

I tried to keep myself busy for the rest of the day. Jed's behavior had been odd and I hadn't seen him since he went out to feed the pigs. I washed our bloody clothes and pinned them up to dry, before tidying up the house a little bit. It was cool outside, the slight breeze adding a chill in the air. Ignoring the cold, I snuggled into Jed's flannel shirt and walked out of the house.

I stepped over to the wooden swing and sat down. The day was fading away slowly, the sun still out, but it would be setting soon. Soaking up the beautiful evening, I tapped the porch with my foot every so often to keep the swing moving. I was trying to ease my swirling thoughts, give myself some sort of peace of mind that everything was going to be fine. And even though I enjoyed it being just Jed, Grandpa, and I... I was ready for the others to get back. It made things easier with them around.

It was difficult to handle situations, like the ones we had been facing, with just Jed and I. The constant fear that something would happen to Jed was heavy on my mind. I could only try and fake my way through everything. Lying to the cops every time one showed up, keeping them from sticking their nose into the Sawyer's home. And when they did force my hand, I had to make sure that was taken care of, too. Jed's safety depended on it.

I began to shiver as the sun started to disappear. Standing from the swing, I made my way back into the house and walked into the kitchen. Turning on the radio, I hummed along to the music as I started preparing to make dinner. It had become a normal routine for me, a routine that I didn't mind. The radio played a familiar tune and I felt my lips twitch upward as I began to sing along.

"All alone am I.. Ever since your goodbye." I sang along to the song, cooking dinner. I took my time, enjoying the evening. I set the table and continued cooking as the music played.

 _"Fly me to the moon. And let me play among the stars."_ I swayed softly along to the song. "Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars.. In other words, hold my hand... In other words, darlin', kiss me." I moved away from the stove, filling the plates on the table. _"Fill my heart with song. And let me sing forevermore. You are all I long for, all I worship and adore."_ Returning the pan to the stove, I turned back to see Jed helping Grandpa into the room. He glanced up at me as they walked, his blue eyes catching mine.

 _"In other words, please be true.. In other words, I love you."_ I looked away as I grabbed my cup and sat down in my usual seat. Jed sat beside me after he got Grandpa into his chair. He said nothing, and I noticed that he was picking at his food just as I was. Something was obviously on his mind and I couldn't deny that my head was a mess as well. I didn't know up from down, every part of my new life confusing me even more every day. I didn't want to be close to Jed. It just happened.

I couldn't help the way I felt about him. The comfort that he brought me for some odd reason. I couldn't help that we had bonded somehow, some way, that neither of us understood. He made me question myself, made me want to... I felt my cheeks flush and I took a sip of water from my cup. Jed glanced at me from the corner of his eye, but I refused to look at him. _Jesus, Evelyn! What the hell is wrong with you?_ I scolded myself, trying to shake the thoughts from my head.

Grandpa didn't seem to notice the awkward tension in the air, and if he did notice it, he said nothing about it. I was grateful for that. He pretty much left Jed and I alone and didn't ask any questions. That made me feel a little better about everything. Surely if Verna or the boys were here, they'd have noticed that something was up and we would have been called out about it. The brothers definitely weren't afraid to speak up about any unusual behavior. That just made me thankful, once again, that they weren't home yet.

Jed finished eating his food and helped Grandpa back to his room. I washed dishes and cleaned the kitchen, before walking over to the coffee maker. I wasn't sure what to do, with the way Jedidiah was acting. I wanted nothing more than to crawl in his bed like our usual nights, but something about him had been off today, and I wasn't sure if he even wanted me in his bed. And I surely wasn't going to mine.

Brewing a hot cup of coffee, I turned the radio up a notch, trying to enjoy the music. The coffee finished brewing and I poured the hot liquid in a mug, adding sugar and milk. Sitting down at the table, I listened to the radio and drank my coffee in the dimly lit kitchen. Time seemed to pass slowly, leaving me to my thoughts, which was the last thing I wanted to be left with. I wasn't sure how long I was in the kitchen, but I was halfway through my second cup of coffee and I was beginning to feel sleepy.

"Pretend you're happy when you're blue," I sang softly, "it isn't very hard to do. And you'll find happiness with odd and end, whenever you pretend.. Remember anyone can dream.. And nothin's bad as it may seem.." I took a sip of coffee, the hot liquid warming my chest. I put the cup back on the table in front of me, as I sat in the kitchen chair, humming along to the song. "And if you sing this melody, you'll be pretendin' just like me-"

"Ev'lyn?" Jed's gruff voice behind me made me jump. I felt my face warm up slightly as I turned in my seat to look back at him. "Uh," he glanced down at the floor, "you comin' to bed?"

"Yeah." I said quietly, relief washing over me. I turned back to the table, grabbing my cup. I took another gulp of my coffee, before emptying the cup in the sink and rinsing it out. I turned to see Jed still standing in the doorway of the kitchen, waiting. Walking toward him, I followed behind him through the living room and into the hall. I stopped at my door. "I gotta, uh..get changed." I murmured, stepping inside and shutting my door. I threw on little pale yellow night gown that Verna had given me. It was small, but comfortable. The only issue is that it was made for summer and it was not summer anymore.

I scampered down the hall quickly, my bare feet on the cold floor making me wrap my arms around myself. I opened Jedidiah's door and took the stairs quickly. The boy was throwing on a t-shirt when I reached the bottom of the steps, and it took all of me not to stare at him as he did so. Trying to ignore him, I moved past him to climb in his bed, pulling the covers up over my body. He walked over slowly to his bed, sitting down before leaning back against his pillow.

"What's wrong?" I asked, propping up on my elbow. I knew something had been bothering him, and I was pretty sure he wouldn't tell me, but it didn't hurt to ask. I was beginning to worry that it was something to do with me. _Probably thinks this is all too much.._ I thought, trying preparing myself.

"Tired." Jed muttered, sliding down to lay on his back. He rolled to face away from me and I felt brave suddenly. I moved toward him, my hand grasping his shoulder as I leaned over his body. My face was close to the side of his and I frowned slightly.

"Tired? Try again. I know there's somethin' botherin' you." I pressed, leaning into him. He moved back toward me, his body slipping under mine, forcing me to lean back as he laid on his back. His eyes were on the ceiling.

"They just keep comin'." He said gruffly.

"We deal with them." I said surely, trying to ease his mind.

"I like killin' them." Jed said icily, the tone of his voice catching me off guard. I said nothing for a moment, trying to find my words.

"I, uh...understand why." I finally spoke. His eyes darted to meet mine.

"All of them." His eyes were locked on mine. "Not just the cops."

"I don't believe that." My voice was smaller than I had anticipated.

"It's true."

"You only do it because it's what they want." I was referring to his family. He was silent for a moment. "You're not like them, Jed. Not all the way."

"She wants me to be." His voice was cold again.

"But you're not.." I put my head on his shoulder, my left hand resting on the nape of his neck. "..not yet."

"I will be." His body was tense under mine and I wished he'd just relax.

"Maybe not all the way." I closed my eyes, soaking up the feeling of his warm body. "You don't have to be all the way. You can be what they want but not be all the way gone."

"How do you know?" Jed asked, his hand moving to rest on my arm. I felt a curve in my lips at the gesture.

"I won't let you lose yourself all the way. You don't have to.. You can stay. That part can..stay."

"I don't think so." He muttered. I lifted my head to look up at him.

"I know so, Jed." I said softly, leaning up to kiss his jaw. "You're not goin' anywhere." I laid my head back down on his shoulder, my stomach in knots. The thought of what he was saying scared me, but the thought of not being here with him.. Scared me even more.

His grasp on my arm tightened as he moved onto his side, facing me. I pressed myself into him, my face buried in his neck as he moved his right arm to lift the blanket up to cover us more. When his arm came down, I felt it around me as he pulled me closer. I wasn't sure I could get much closer to him, his warm body pressed against mine as he held me.

The knot in my stomach dissolved and I relaxed, feeling his body move with every breath he took. Before I could think about anything else, sleep took over.

* * *

 **I hope you lovely readers are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it. You don't know how painfully difficult it is to take this slow with Jed and Evelyn. I'm trying to build it up and keep it as realistic as possible, I definitely did not want to ruin the story by throwing them together too quickly !**

 **Have I told you all how amazing you are ? Because just in case I haven't, you are all AMAZING ! I have been so inspired by the reviews I've been getting and it really encourages me to keep writing. I love writing Fanfiction, but sometimes things in life can mess up the things you enjoy most. Struggling with my depression puts me in a place where I can't seem to find motivation to do the things that make me truly happy. Then I see all the kind words and the enjoyment from this story... And damn, does it light a fire under my ass to keep focused on getting chapters written for you guys !**

 **You are all amazing. Thank you for taking the time to read this story and thank you for every READ/REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW !**

 **I am so happy to see that you guys are loving Evelyn. I really put a lot of thought into my characters and their development and their stories. So I'm so stoked that she is a likable character.**

 **If you haven't checked out my Facebook page (Kaila Britt Fanfiction) or twitter (kailabrittFF) I try to post updates and when I'm working on chapters, edited promo pics for my stories, and shout outs to you awesome people !**

 **Thank you again, I couldn't ask for better readers.**

 **~Kaila.**


	15. Chapter 15

I was sitting on the front porch swing with a cup of coffee in hand, snuggled into one of Jed's flannel shirts. Grandpa was sitting in his usual chair across from me, staring blankly ahead out into the front yard. I worried about the old man, not sure if he was just enjoying the view or if it was the old age beginning to take him over. Tilting my head slightly, I frowned. The thought bothered me for some reason and I wasn't sure why.

A noise made me turn my head to see Jedidiah hovering in the front doorway. His eyes met mine briefly before darting back down to the floor. I had to fight off a smile, the sight of him making my heart flutter. Despite the words he had spoken the previous night, I couldn't help the way he made me feel. It was like he had some sort of grip on me and I could justify all of the bad in my own mind.

 _I've lost it.._ I thought to myself, looking down at my boots before lifting my cup to my lips. I took a sip of my coffee, the liquid warming my chest. The cool crisp air made me shiver as I forced my eyes to look over at the front yard. Everything was quiet. Just the way I liked it. Maybe the cops would hold off coming back around until the others came back. That would makes things go so much more smoothly for me.

"Jed?" The old man mumbled the boy's name. Jedidiah stepped out onto the porch, walking to where Grandpa sat. "Drayton..hn.." He was mumbling. "The meat's good..hn.. It's always good."

"He'll be back soon." Jed murmured quietly, looking down at his grandfather.

"You're a good boy, Jed." The old man grinned wickedly, leaning forward to pat Jed's arm.

"Thanks, Grandpa." His voice was gruff as he turned away from the old man and walked into the house.

* * *

I spent most of the day outside. After feeding the chickens, I walked around the farm for a while, exploring the territory. I was standing at the fence, gazing out into the field, watching the cows move lazily about. They seemed so carefree, as if nothing ever bothered them. _What would bother a cow?_ I wondered, shaking my head at the thought. _I guess bein' slaughte-_ I turned away from the fence nearly running into Jed, my thought interrupted.

"Dammit, Jed!" I jumped, never hearing him come up behind me. He gave me a little smirk.

"Sorry." He said gruffly, his eyes darting to the ground.

"I'm startin' to think you find it funny..sneakin' up on me." I huffed out a small laugh, poking his shoulder. "Payback's a..." I trailed off with a slight grin, tilting my head.

"Hn." He gave me a grunt, his lips twitching upward as he looked at me. My heart began to race when he stepped toward me, closing the gap between us. He said nothing and I felt frozen in place as he leaned down to me slowly. It felt as if my stomach was flipping when his lips brushed mine and I couldn't move. Before I even had time to think, he stepped back away from me, his eyes on the ground. "Sorry..I'm sorry." Jed shook his head as he turned and walked toward the house. I could still feel the tickle of his breath on my face, forcing me to breathe again.

"Jed?" I called after the boy, but he kept walking without looking back. "Jed!" I tried, but he was already bounding up the front porch stairs, heading into the house. Letting out another breath, I pushed my hair behind my ear and touched my lip nervously. _What..the hell?_

* * *

It was dark out, and while I usually spent my evenings eating with the guys and listening to music, I sat out on the porch swing with a coffee cup in hand. I wasn't sure what to think of what Jed had done earlier and I couldn't focus on anything. Dinner had been almost painful, Jed not even bothering to so much as give me a sideways glance. He refused to look at me. I had eaten my food quickly, grabbed my coffee, and retreated outside to the porch.

 _Did he..want to? God, Evelyn, just stop. Of course he didn't, why do you think he ran off? I dunno, is he just lonely? Did he...regret almost kissin' me?_ I tried to stop the thoughts, but they kept running through my head. _Exactly, almost. It wasn't even a kiss.. Was it? No. No, it wasn't. But you liked it.._ Maybe a little more than I was ready to admit. _But he.. He what? He's a killer.. So am I._

I took a deep breath and stood from the swing, walking inside the house with my empty coffee cup. The kitchen was dim, no sign of Jed or Grandpa. The dishes were set neatly in the sink and I almost smiled at the gesture. Almost, as I stepped over to the sink and turned the faucet on. I began washing the dishes, drying and putting them away as I cleaned each one. After, I wiped down the counters and swept the kitchen floor, keeping myself busy. I was a nervous cleaner at times.

It was getting late and I frowned slightly, unsure of what to do. I knew that despite what had happened with Jed, I didn't want to sleep alone. If anything, it just made me want to crawl in his bed even more. _What is wrong with me?_ I had never been like this before and it threw me off. My stomach in knots, I made my way into my room, grabbing clean sleep clothes and heading to the bathroom. Inside, I refused to look at myself in the mirror as I stripped down and took a warm bath.

When my water began to cool, I got out and dried off hastily in the cooling bathroom before brushing my teeth. Snatching up my dirty clothes, I left the bathroom, dropping them in my clothes basket inside my room. My eyes skimmed over the bedroom and it looked so foreign to me. _I... I can't sleep in here._ I wasn't even going to try. And though I was nervous and my stomach was fluttering like crazy, I made my way down the dark hallway toward Jed's door.

Reaching the door, I hesitated for a moment before reaching out and grabbing the knob. Twisting it carefully, I opened it and shut it behind me before starting down the stairs. My bare feet made no sound as I made my way down the steps. Stepping off the last stair, I looked up to see Jed on his bed, his back facing me. I stood still for a moment, wondering if he was asleep. Moving from where I stood, I walked over to the bed and pulled the covers down, climbing in beside him.

Jedidiah didn't move as I pulled the covers up over my body. I laid on my side, facing him as I tried to think of something to say. The silence was thick, almost loud in my brain and I wanted him to know that he did nothing wrong. At least not in my eyes. "You have nothin' to be sorry for." I said quietly. Jed was silent and I thought he might be asleep. But after a few seconds, he moved, turning over slowly toward me.

In the dim lit room, I could see his eyes watching me wearily. He rested his head on his pillow, his eyes on mine. The fear that he regretted what he'd done fizzled a little bit when I saw the look on his face. It read exactly how I felt. Confused. Curious. Like he did feel something there and he just wasn't sure how to act on it or how to handle it. _How does this...work?_ I didn't know. He didn't know. Neither of us had been provided with a stable environment to grow up and explore in. To learn how to connect with others and relationships and friendships. We'd both been damned from the start.

I reached in between us, my hand finding his. His slightly rough fingers intertwined with mine and I closed my eyes. Relaxing at his touch, I fell into a dark and dreamless sleep.

* * *

I had made breakfast for Jed and Grandpa. It didn't look like I was going to be able to do any outside chores, as rain was falling in sheets outside. I sat in the front doorway, my back against the door frame as I watched the rain fall. It was cooler than it had been, causing me to pull my knees up and snuggle into the warm long sleeve shirt I was wearing. Leaning my head against the wooden frame, I watched and listened to the rain fall. It was soothing, despite the cold it had brought with it.

Footsteps came toward me, but I didn't look up. I knew who they belonged to. From the corner of my eye I saw Jed lean into the door frame, his eyes on the front yard. My lips twitched upward as I closed my eyes, listening to the rain hit the roof of the porch. _My favorite... Place?_ If I had to choose a favorite place, this moment would be it. Jed and I, alone, quiet. Just enjoying the rainy weather. I opened my eyes to see him glance at me.

"Cold?" He asked, his blue eyes darker than usual from the dim lighting of the day.

"A little." I gave him a light laugh. "It's worth it, though."

"It's nice." He agreed quietly, looking back out at the rain.

"Well.." I paused long enough to stand from where I sat. "Obviously not gonna get anything done out there today." Jed looked at me as I spoke. "House is clean... I say we just have a lazy day and..go back to bed."

"Go back to bed..." He raised an eyebrow, his expression showing slight curiosity.

"Rainy weather is bed weather." I yawned. "See? It's makin' me tired." I turned away from him, heading down the hall. I didn't look back, even when I heard him shut and lock the front door. Downstairs, I laid down on the bed, pulling the covers up over me and closing my eyes. I felt a smile creep onto my lips when I heard Jed's footsteps coming down the stairs only minutes later.

He kicked off his boots and I scooted over closer to the wall, making room for him. Jed laid down beside me, his body heat warming me almost instantly. The feeling of him being next to me was something I thought I'd never get enough of, and I curled up against his body, laying my head on his chest. His heart was thumping wildly and I wondered if it was because of me. _Do I... Do I do that to him?_ With everything I had been feeling for him, I thought he had to be feeling some things for me too.

I wasn't even sure what I felt for him. _Or do I? I've never been like this..before. When did I have the chance?_ It wasn't like I got to hang around boys. Ever. The consequences weren't worth it. The fear of my safety, my innocence, my everything.. Wasn't worth it. The things he had threatened, the things he insinuated towards me.. It was too much for an adult to handle, much less a child. _When was I ever a child?_ I wondered with the small ache in my heart that I'd never have a normal childhood. I wasn't really a child anymore. _I never was.._

"Ev?" Jed said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Hm?"

"What, uh.. What are we doin'?" He asked, his voice gravelly. Confused and sincere. I was silent, unable to answer him for a moment. I didn't know what to say.

"I..." I fumbled over how to answer his question. "Jed.." I moved from him, propping up on my right elbow. He was watching me with unsure eyes. Like he was dreading my answer. "I don't..know." I said finally, my eyes meeting his. "I don't know what this is, but.. I'm not scared of it. I'm not scared of you." I sat up and grabbed his hand, scratching at his palm gently with my thumb nail.

"You should be." He growled, but his voice held no malice. "I'm a monster, Ev'lyn. And you.." He shook his head, pulling his hand away.

"I, what?"

"You deserve better." Jed mumbled, avoiding my eyes.

"No more than you." I said surely, grabbing his hand again. I moved closer to him, holding his hand in my lap.

"I don't wanna hurt you." He said gruffly, refusing to look at me.

"That's what you're worried about?" I leaned a little closer to him. "You're not."

"You dunno that."

"I know that." I countered. "I've never been sure of anything in my life, Jedidiah Sawyer, but I'm sure of two things now. One bein', you'd never hurt me. Two.. I've never felt like I belonged anywhere. I never really had a home, you know? I lived in a house, but it wasn't..home. And now I.." I trailed off, trying to find the right words. His eyes met mine as he waited for me to speak. "I'm learnin' that you can make a home out of someone. It doesn't have to be a-a place." I moved to lay back down beside him, resting my head on his chest once again. "You think you're gonna hurt me, but I've never felt safer than I do with you." For some reason my voice cracked at my last word and I felt a lump in my throat.

I'm not sure why, but I was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. I was angry with my sorry excuse of a father for being a sick and disgusting person. I was sad knowing that I'd never be normal, I'd never know normal or be able to tell happy childhood stories. Devastation flooded through me at the reminder of the things I had endured before I met Jed and for the boy himself. He and I would never be normal or have normal lives. I was sad and angry and hurt and confused for him and myself. _Why us?_

I didn't even realize I was shaking as the tears rolled down my face onto Jed's shirt. He pulled me closer to him as I cried. "Didn't mean to upset you." He murmured against my head. I couldn't talk as I cried, the boy beside me moving on his side to face me. I wiped my face with the back of my hand quickly, before rolling over to face the wall.

"Jed." I said his name with a shaky voice as I tried to regain my composure.

"Yeah?" He sounded concerned, making my heart melt a little more.

"Can you just..hold me?" He hesitated for a moment, before I felt him move toward me, his right arm coming over my side. He settled in behind me, hesitantly pulling me closer against him. I could feel his heart thudding against my back and I grabbed his hand, holding it to my chest. I fought back threatening tears as we laid there. I pressed his hand a little harder against my chest, wishing I could keep him like this. For always.

* * *

We laid in the bed together for the rest of the day. Neither of us moved as we drifted in and out of sleep, the rain falling outside. Every time I awoke, I could feel Jed's body against me as he breathed and it comforted me in a way I'd never felt comfort. I couldn't explain why I had connected with Jed the way I did, but I wasn't letting go of that. Of him. He was too important to me now. Whatever it was that we felt toward each other, it made me feel like I'd never felt before.

He wasn't a monster. He could never be. Jed might have been quite a few things, but a monster was not one. I understood why he was the way he was. Quiet and shy. Weary. He seemed to not trust anyone or anything. After being with the Sawyer family and hearing the story of his childhood, it all made sense. I didn't want him to think that he was bad. Even if he was, it wasn't his fault. With everything that had happened to him.. Damned from the start.

I opened my eyes to see the room quite dim. The room was silent, no sound of rain falling outside. I didn't want to move from Jed, but I knew that it was probably getting close to dinner time and Grandpa had to be fed. Closing my eyes, I soaked up the feeling of Jed holding me to him for a few moments. _Can we just..stay like this always?_ I wished that was possible, but there were things that needed to be taken care of.

I moved away from Jed, his arm slipping from around me. Sitting up, I pushed the covers off and looked over at the blonde boy beside me. His sleepy blue eyes were open, watching me with a slightly concerned expression. I smiled, placing my hand on his chest. I just wanted to be touching him. "I've gotta cook dinner." I informed, enjoying his sweet sleepy face.

"Stopped rainin'.." Jed observed groggily. "Guess I better feed the pigs."

"And maybe the chickens?" I asked, earning a smirk from him as he nodded. He started to sit up and I moved my hand from his chest. Jed turned his body, stretching slightly before getting up from the bed. He shrugged into a flannel long sleeve shirt, not bothering to button it before heading toward the stairs. "Thank you!" I called to him.

"Mhm." I heard him grunt as his footsteps thudded lightly up the stairs.

* * *

 **I really hope everyone likes Evelyn's character. I am putting my heart and soul into this story, as I do with all my fics. I really love how her character is so adaptable externally, even when she's freaking a little internally.**

 **I am trying so very hard to take their forming relationship at a slow pace. I definitely am LOVING writing Jed. His character is so tortured and complicated, but he's got that soft spot for Evelyn.**

 **I LOVE you guys for being the most awesome readers ever and being so incredibly patient with me. Your kind words and enthusiastic reviews are just a breath of fresh air to see you all enjoying this story so much. I adore you all ! Every READ/REVIEW/FAV/FOLLOW is so very greatly appreciated ! I am grateful to have the best readers a girl could ask for.**

 **~Kaila**


	16. Chapter 16

"I've got you under my skin." I sang along to the radio as I set the table. "I've got you deep in the heart of me. So deep in my heart, that you're really a part of me.." I put the food in the center of the table and started out of the kitchen.

 _"I've got you under my skin.. I tried so not to give in.."_ The radio was louder than I thought, as I could still hear it at the front door. I peered out into the dark yard, the porch light illuminating the grass in an orange-ish glow. My eyes skimmed the yard, seeing Jed out by the pig pen.

"Jed!" I called to him, causing him to look up. I crossed my arms at the chill of the night as I leaned against the door frame. "Dinner's ready!" He checked the pen gate before turning toward the porch. I watched him walk to the porch steps, the dip in his step earning a smirk from me as he reached the stairs and started up them. Pushing away from the door frame, I turned and headed back into the kitchen as Jed went to get his grandfather.

 _"I would sacrifice anything, come what might, for the sake of havin' you near. In spite of a warnin' voice that comes in the night,"_ I turned the volume down a couple of notches as Jed and Grandpa entered the room, _"and repeats, how it yells in my ear! Don't you know, little fool, you never can win."_ Jed pulled my chair out for me after he helped his grandfather into his seat. I bumped him with my shoulder as I sat down, earning a smirk from him. _Why not use your mentality? Step up, wake up to reality. But each time I do, just the thought of you, makes me stop just before I begin."_

"Thank you." I whispered before I began making my plate.

 _"'Cause I've got you under my skin. Yes, I've got you under my skin."_

Grandpa had seemed to be in good spirits throughout dinner, tapping his foot lightly to certain songs that played. Jed kept glancing at me now and then, making my stomach do those stupid little flutters. It made it difficult to eat, but I managed to almost clean my plate. When we finished, Jed helped me gather up all the dishes and I set about washing them. Grandpa insisted that he wanted to sit in the kitchen a little longer and I grinned. Turning up the radio a bit more, I hummed along to the songs that played as he bobbed his head and tapped his foot.

He mumbled along to a song or two, just a couple of verses from each, making me smile as I dried the dishes. I found it sweet how he appreciated good music. I'd only heard Verna play the radio once or twice since I had been living with the Sawyers. With how much Grandpa seemed to enjoy it, I figured I'd keep music playing regularly when they returned. _I'm sure Verna won't mind.._ I didn't see why she would.

I heard Jed come back into the room and he helped the older man back to his bedroom so that he could sleep. I decided on a cup of coffee to end the night and I poured water into the back of the coffee pot. As I grabbed the coffee grounds, a soft tune hit my ears. I couldn't suppress my smile, barely swaying while scooping the coffee grounds and dumping them into the coffee pot.

 _"Put your head on my shoulder. Hold me in your arms, baby."_ I hummed along to the song as I pressed the button on the coffee pot. I stayed where I stood, swaying slightly, listening to the music play. _"Squeeze me, oh, so tight. Show me that you love me, too. Put your lips next to mine, dear."_

"Won't you kiss me once, baby? Just a kiss goodnight, maybe. You and I will fall in love." I sang in a whisper, watching the coffee begin to drizzle into the glass pot. _"People say that love's a game, a game you just can't win."_ Suddenly I felt two arms come around my waist, making me jump, but I giggled softly as Jed rested his chin on my shoulder. He had his arms wrapped around me gently and I leaned my head over a little to touch his. I was still swaying faintly, his body moving ever so slightly with mine.

 _"If there's a way, I'll find it someday. And then this fool will rush in.. Put your head on my shoulder. Whisper in my ear, baby. Words I want to hear, tell me. Tell me that you love me, too.. Put your head on my shoulder. Whisper in my ear, baby, words I want to hear, baby. Put your head on my shoulder."_ Jed didn't move from me when the song went off and another began. He only let go of me and stepped back when the coffee pot had finished. I could still feel his chin on my shoulder, the sensation forcing me to turn and look at him.

His blue eyes were full of boyish mischievous charm and I turned away, shaking my head with a smile. I wasn't sure what had gotten into him, but I was enjoying it. I made my cup of coffee and turned back to him, handing it over. "Wanna sip?" I asked. Jed stared at me for a moment, almost as if he was unsure, but he took the cup from my hand. Glancing down at the coffee, he took a sip, giving me a noticeable grimace. "What?" I asked, taking the coffee back from him.

"Put enough sugar in there?" He teased, his voice playful.

"Probably should've warned you, I like my coffee sweet." I wrinkled my nose before smiling and looking down at the floor. "Do you, uh..wanna come sit with me?" I glanced up at him, my eyes meeting his. He gave me a little nod and I stepped past him out of the kitchen. Unlocking the front door, I opened it and sat down, leaning against the wooden door frame. The chilly air made me shiver slightly and I took a sip of my warm coffee.

We sat in silence, and when rain started to fall again, I rested my head against the cool wood. The cup in my hands was warm and I took another sip, the liquid warming my chest. My eyes darted over to Jed, who was sitting across from me, just outside the door with his back against the wall. He was gazing out at the dark yard, the rain falling in sheets. The sound of it hitting the roof of the porch was calming and we sat quietly, just listening.

My cup was nearly empty, when a bright light flashed, blinding neon purple striking down from the dark sky in the distance. _BOOOOM!_ Thunder roared loudly, the whole farm seeming to light up in that moment and I yelped, jumping up from where I sat. Laughing, I ran inside the house, darting into the kitchen. Putting my cup in the sink, I ran back out in time to see Jed chuckling as he shut and locked the front door. I took off down the hall, running through his open door and down the stairs.

"Oh, dammit!" I fussed when I reached the bottom of his stairs, realizing I didn't even bother to stop by my room.

"What?" I heard Jed call down to me as he reached his door. His footsteps thudded lightly as he came down the stairs.

"I forgot to get clothes.." I whined, looking up at him. "Shit, I gotta go to my room."

"I, uh... You can sleep in one..of my shirts." He offered, his voice low.

"Oh... Okay, yeah." I nodded, feeling my face flush at his words. I was thankful for his room being dim.

 _BOOOOM!_ The thunder was nearly deafening and it got me moving. I ducked away from the stairs, walking toward the bed. Jed came down and trudged over to his dresser, pulling a t-shirt from a drawer. He stepped up to me, handing it over, before turning away. _Perfect gentleman.._ I thought, as I unbuttoned my shirt and shrugged out of it. Pulling my under shirt up and over my head, I dropped it on top of the flannel I had been wearing.

Unbuttoning my jeans, I pushed them down and kicked them off. I slipped into Jed's t-shirt, glancing down. _Uhhh..._ The shirt covered me, but only to my upper thighs. Enough not to see anything, but still... I'd never been this exposed with another human being. Not willingly, anyway. I looked up at Jed, who still had his back turned to me. _BOOOOM!_ Another loud crack of thunder clapped outside and I jumped onto the bed quickly, pulling the covers up over me. Jed turned to look at me, and in the darkness I could see a little smirk on his lips.

 _What?_ I wondered what he was thinking as he turned to the side and started to unbutton his shirt. He pulled it off, throwing it in his basket. Grabbing the bottom of his under shirt, he pulled it up over his head, every muscle in his toned back rippling at his movement. He tossed the shirt in his basket with the flannel, before he began to take his jeans off. I forced myself to look away, feeling the need to give him some privacy. When I felt the covers move, I turned my head to catch a glimpse of him climbing into the bed beside me. No shirt. Just shorts.

My breath caught in my throat and my heart began to race. _What am I doin'?_ I asked myself, my stomach fluttering like crazy. I felt extremely nervous suddenly and I started shivering. I wasn't sure if it was nerves or if I was just cold, but... _It's fine..it's fine, it's Jed._ I reminded myself, knowing he would never do anything to harm me or make me uncomfortable. _This's...new, I don't know what I'm doin'-_

"Ev?" He said hoarsely, nearly making my heart stop. I looked over at him, not sure if I could manage to speak. His blue eyes were soft in the dark and I felt something inside of me relax ever so slightly at the sight of him looking at me that way. Taking a deep breath, I tried to reason with myself.

 _It's just like any night... Just a little more..exposed.. A little? Calm down, Evelyn!_ I scolded myself. _He makes me..nervous._ But it was a good nervous. Not the scared kind of nervous that made you want to throw up, no. It was the butterflies in your stomach, can't think straight kind of nervous that you only hear people talk about.

Scooting over to him, I rolled over and faced the wall. Jed moved closer behind me, his arm snaking over my waist. The heat from his body warmed me, and I felt his breath tickling my neck as he laid his head on my pillow. Every breath he took tickled my skin and I had to fight the strange urge to turn in his arms. I felt chills splay across my skin as I snuggled farther back into him, and I could feel the tip of his nose barely touching the back of my neck.

But he was so warm. I was warm and felt safe... The longer we laid there in silence, the more my nerves faded away. I knew he wasn't, and would never, do anything that I was not comfortable with. I just had a destructive role model of what love was supposed to be and I never wanted anything like that. He ruined so many things for me, especially when it came to things like this.

He made me afraid to trust anyone. He made me think that it was like that, how boys would treat me. When I got older I realized that it wasn't, but as a child, someone like that can easily warp your mind with fear. And I was scared to death of him. I always had been. He had made sure of it, that I would be. It was his way of controlling me for so long, threatening me, beating me into submission.. _STOP._

 _Why are you thinkin' about him?_ I felt my stomach knot up and I forced myself to stop thinking of him. I was not going to let that bastard scare me anymore. He was dead. Gone forever. I had killed him. And I'd never be sorry for that.

* * *

 _"Little birdy told me you've been seein' a boy, Evie." He was standing in front of me, watching me with those ice cold eyes of his. Soulless eyes._

 _"I haven't been." I shook my head fearfully. "I haven't."_

 _"You wouldn't be lyin' to me, now would you, darlin'? 'Cause punishment for that ain't gonna be daisies for you."_

 _"I'm not lyin', Daddy." I was holding back tears._

 _"Huh... I believe you." He said suddenly, nodding his head._

 _"It's the truth." I wasn't sure if it was safe. I didn't know if he was being truthful when he said he believed me._

 _"You don't wanna disappoint me, do you, sweetheart?" He reached out and touched my face. It took everything inside of me not to shy away. I didn't want to make him mad out of fear._

 _"No, sir." My voice sounded so small._

 _"Then why..." His hand went to his belt and he started unbuckling it. "..were you lyin' in bed.." He ripped the belt from his pants, grabbing my arm. "..with that boy? You were layin' in bed with a boy, HALF NAKED, YOU LITTLE DIRTY-"_

 _"Please!" I held up my hands to protect my head and face as he raised his arm. "Stop! Stop, STOP!"_

I awoke screaming, someone shaking my shoulder softly. "Ev, Ev'lyn.." Jed was trying to calm me down, his sleepy voice confused as his hand cupped my shoulder. Realizing I was safe and sound with Jed, I felt like I could breathe again, but the dream was thick in my mind. I couldn't hold it in.

"He ruined everything." I was shaking. Hard.

"Hn?" Jed grunted questioningly.

"John..." I clenched my jaw to keep my emotions at bay. I felt Jed move and his hand found my hip, pulling me to roll toward him. I laid on my back, my eyes meeting his confused ones. "It's not you, I swear." I shook my head. "So..don't think that. It's..just that I-I can't stop rememberin' the things he.. I hate it, I hate him. I hate him, I hate him..so much."

"I would've enjoyed killin' him the most." Jedidiah said calmly, his eyes locked on mine.

"He's gone but I..I can't forget." I glanced away, then back to him. "I wish I could."

"What can I do?" He asked me gruffly, his eyes burning into mine.

"Hold me." I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

"You sure?" His face was etched with concern at my request. I nodded, rolling back over to face away from him. His warm body settled in behind me and his arm slipped around my waist, pulling me against him. I curled into his body, grabbing his hand and holding it to my chest. My heart was racing still, but I was starting to relax.

"Thank you, Jed." My voice was weak and I hated it.

"For?" He asked groggily. I just snuggled harder into him, his warm body soothing my still shaking one. Jed said nothing, and neither did I, as we drifted back to sleep.

* * *

"Ev'lyn.. Ev.." I jerked awake to feel Jed behind me. He was leaned over me, shaking me lightly.

"What's wrong?" I asked with sleep thick in my voice as I sat up on the bed.

"Nothin'.. Just, uh.." His eyes darted down then back to me. "Figured I'd wake you up before I got up." My lips twitched upward and I gave in to the smile. _Sweet boy.._ I thought, realizing he didn't want me to wake up alone after my bad dream last night.

"Good mornin'." I said groggily through my smile, earning a smirk from the shy boy beside me. He slipped out from under the covers, standing from the bed. I glanced down at the covers, still smiling as I tried to keep my eyes off of him. It was hard to as he he threw on a pair of jeans and an under shirt. He gave me one last glance before walking toward the stairs. _One. Two..Three. Four..Five. Six.._ I counted his steps as he left the room, walking up the stairs.

Despite the trauma I had suffered as a child and until I had stumbled into the Sawyers' lives, I couldn't help the feelings that I felt for Jed. I knew that I shouldn't go through life afraid of everyone and everything. Not all people were evil like John. The situation I was in did complicate my voice of reason, however. Because they were killers and I could see the evil in Verna. She was frightening at times, though I tried to keep my fear of her hidden.

Nubbins was questionable. The boys were all killers and would do as their mother said. But Drayton and C.T. were different somehow. They didn't come off as evil as Verna and Nubbins. And Jed... _He's not evil._ I thought surely, knowing that he was just lost. Maybe all of us were. And I also knew that the boys were very loyal to Verna, which made them dangerous. I didn't think they would hurt me, I knew Jed wouldn't, but I had to stay on Verna's good side to be safe. I felt like she genuinely had started to care for me, but I wasn't certain enough to drop my guard with her.

Climbing out of the bed, I tip toed up the stairs and walked quietly to my room, slipping inside. Changing into a long sleeved shirt and long overalls, I shoved my feet into my shoes and left my room. Walking down the hallway, I made my way through the living room and into the kitchen. Thinking back to Jed's warm body and the way he felt lying next to me, pressed against me... All the bad thoughts faded away as I prepared to begin cooking breakfast.

* * *

 **Surprise ! Bet you didn't expect another chapter so soon, did ya ?**

 **Happy Monday ! (Well, it's Monday where I am)**

 **I am just in awe at the amazing response I've gotten from this story. You guys are truly the best readers ever. I don't even know what to say ! Every review I read just makes me...like... I don't even know how to describe it. I love that everyone seems to like Evelyn. That's the biggest compliment you can get in fanfiction writing, when people like your OC.**

 **I hope you guys like this chapter and you'll be getting another one sooner than you might think ! Thanks for being patient with me ! Every READ/REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW... So greatly appreciated ! You're all amazing !**

 **~Kaila**


	17. Chapter 17

The wet farm was chilly and quiet. I walked outside after spending most of the day cleaning up a bit, washing some clothes and cleaning the dishes from breakfast and lunch. I checked in on the chickens and cows, throwing a little bit of the feed for the cows that the Sawyers kept. Verna had told me that they gave the cows a little extra to go along with their grass. Once the cows and chickens were taken care of, I decided to enjoy the day since it wasn't raining. Being outside was refreshing, especially when living on a farm.

Stepping around the side of the house, I made my way to the back side, my eyes skimming over everything around me. The land, even on a cloudy day, was a breath taking sight. Standing still for a moment, I just enjoyed the view of the huge backyard and the pasture. Inhaling slowly, I closed my eyes at the fresh rain farm smell. It gave me a sense of freedom somehow. The air felt clean. Light from the absence of the Texas summer heat.

Opening my eyes, I saw the cows grazing lazily out in the pasture. A couple were lying down under one of the few large trees in their large domain. "Hm." I hummed shortly, before walking out from the back of the house. There were woods ahead at quite a distance, and I walked slowly, enjoying my little outing. Verna had ordered us to stay close to the house and we had been doing so. It was nice to get out and venture a bit.

So I walked. And walked until the sky began to dim a bit, the clouds above starting to separate and show hints of blue sky. I stepped toward the back of the house, about to round the corner, when a noise stopped me in my tracks. _BOOOM!_ It sounded like a cannon echoing through the woods, and I turned in time to see colors lighting up in the distant sky above the trees. _Fireworks?_ I questioned, frozen where I stood. _That's..too close.. They've gotta be on the property somewhere._ I frowned, my stomach knotting up a little.

Rounding the side of the house, I jogged around until I reached the front porch and bounded up the stairs. Grandpa was sitting in his rocking chair, his eyes on mine as I came up the steps. "What's all that racket?" He fussed, squinting at me.

"Fireworks." I replied, watching his face scrunch up in annoyance and confusion.

"Fireworks? Who's doin' that?"

"Dunno, Grandpa.." I shook my head as I started toward the front door. "Guess Jed and I'll find out soon." I stepped inside and started down the hall. "Jed!" I called, listening to see if he was in the kitchen. I heard nothing. "Jed!" I said his name loudly as I grabbed his door knob, twisting it. Poking my head in the door, I leaned in the doorway. "Jed? You down here?" I called, but I was met with silence.

Pushing away from his door frame, I shut his door and turned to walk back down the hall. "Where is he?" I wondered out loud, making my way back to the front door. Opening it, I moved quickly out onto the porch and down the steps. "Jed?" I called out, looking around me. I was starting to get worried now. Usually he didn't wander off far and I hadn't seen him since lunch. "JEDDD?" I was yelling now as I ran by the pig pen.

 _BOOOOM!_ Another echoing explosion was followed by quiet crackles and I looked back towards the trees to catch the tail end of the colors lighting up in the sky. It was growing dimmer and dimmer, night preparing to settle in. I jogged toward the chicken coop, seeing that the door was latched. _He's not in there.._ "Shit." I muttered, unsure of where to look for him. Walking toward the tall grass, I stopped when I reached it, cupping my hands on the side of my mouth. "JEDDDD! JEDIDIAH!" I yelled, waiting a moment. No reply.

 _Where is he?_ My heart was beginning to race, my stomach in knots as I turned away from the field of tall grass and started to run back toward the house. "EVELYN!" I stopped in my tracks when I heard his voice call loudly from behind me. I whirled around to see him coming from the tall grass, a concerned look on his face.

"Oh, my..." I ran toward him, frowning when I reached him. "You scared the shit outta me!" I fussed with a growl, earning a smirk from him. Before I could say anything else, another firework went off, sounding like a cannon as colors exploded in the sky above the trees.

"The hell?" Jed looked up at it before his eyes darted back to mine.

"I dunno, someone's shootin' fireworks in the woods." I said, my breathing beginning to regulate. The boy in front of me said nothing as he started toward the house. "Jed, wait!" I caught up to him and we continued on toward the porch. "What are you gonna do?"

"Get 'em." He replied lowly, his voice gruff.

"No, that's a bad idea." I said surely. "Wait 'til they come here."

"Why?"

"We don't know how many there are." I explained as we cut to the right before reaching the porch. "We'll have the upper hand here at the house."

"All right." He nodded in agreement and I took a relieved breath as we made our way around to the backyard. We stopped once we reached the middle of the back of the house, both of us standing side by side, listening. I couldn't hear anything significant, no voices or laughter. I figured as much, considering the fireworks seemed to be at a bit of a distance.

 _BOOOOOM!_ The percussion was much louder this time, the explosion of colors spattering in the sky. I glanced at Jed to see the colors illuminating his face as he watched. The bright blues and greens and whites seemed to cast beautiful shadows along his face and I couldn't look away, even when he turned his head with a questioning expression.

"They're gettin' closer." I said quietly, trying to recover from my heart racing again. Only it wasn't racing from the people in the woods.

"Yeah." He said gruffly, his eyes still locked on mine. Another boom echoed through my ears as the colors washed over his face and I couldn't breathe at the sight of him. In that moment, it was like seeing him again for the first time.

His dark blonde hair looked almost light brown in the darkness, even with the bright colors lighting up his appearance. The light scars along his face showed where the skin raised slightly in some spots where his stitches had been, indented where the wounds had been. The bright lights lit up his blue eyes, my stomach fluttering like crazy at the sight. He watched me with weary, but curious, eyes as the light fizzled out in the sky. Neither of us said anything in the darkness, even when the next firework lit up the sky.

I watched the colors dance across his face, and in that moment I wanted nothing more than to keep that image of him in my mind forever. It was single-handedly the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my life and I never wanted to forget it. The way he looked, the way the air smelled, the cool of the night nipping at my skin. How the colors of the lights seemed to be trapped in his eyes... _Jed.._ I had no words, as there were none to describe that moment and how it made me feel.

The firework fizzled out in the sky, leaving us in darkness once again. We stood there, eyes on each other as we waited in silence. Another firework didn't explode in the sky and I could hear no other noises. Finally tearing my eyes away from him, I looked out to where they had been illuminating the sky to see smoke drifting high in the air. The night had grown eerily silent, Jed and I standing still as we continued to listen for any sound.

"I should go find them." Jed broke the silence, moving to turn back toward the house.

"Jed, no!" I lurched forward, grabbing his arm. "Wait, I thought we were gonna wait. Please don't.. Please don't go out there." I was whispering as I pleaded with him. He was quiet for a moment before he spoke.

"All right." He said lowly. "We'll wait 'til they show up here."

"Upper hand here." I reminded him, letting go of his arm. He nodded and we started back around the house. I wasn't sure if it was habit or his own wanting, but he was eager to go after those people and I was doing everything I could to stop him. I glanced back at the woods just before we reached the corner of the house. _Whoever you are...just go home...please._

* * *

I decided against music during dinner, considering Jed seemed to be a bit on edge and we had to be aware of anyone around the property. I was hoping with everything inside of me that it was just a few stupid kids out there camping and that they would not wander up this way. If they could just stay out in the woods... They just needed to stay away from the farm. And then everything would be fine. Jed would be okay. _He wouldn't have to..._ I clenched my jaw as I continued putting food on the table and on our plates.

Jed and Grandpa were already seated, the older man eyeing his food and the younger one eyeing me. I tried not to look at him as I sat down beside him and began eating. The three of us ate in silence and when we finished, I took our dishes and began washing them. Trying to keep myself calm was not easy when I had no idea what was out there in the woods. It was just Jed and I, no one else to have his back if trouble wandered onto the property. With his brothers, they seemed to have a system. _But what could I do?_

I dried the dishes and put them away, leaning against the counter with my thoughts. _What if they come here? How many of them? And Jed... I don't want this for him. I don't want him to have to kill those people.. I don't want him to have to kill anyone. He don't deserve this, he deserves so much better.._ The image of him under the light of the fireworks came to my mind and I felt my stomach tighten a bit.

Leaving the kitchen, I saw the front door slightly ajar. I walked over to it, opening it and stepping out onto the porch. Jed was sitting on the steps, just watching. Moving to where he sat, I put hands on his shoulders and squatted down behind him, my face close to the side of his as I leaned into him. "You okay?" I whispered, feeling his arm move. He reached up to rest his hand on mine, his fingertips brushing my knuckles before he put his arm back down. "Okay.. I'm gonna get ready for bed." I stood, giving the back of his neck an affectionate scratch at his hairline before walking back inside.

I cracked the door and made my way to my room, grabbing a nightgown. I took a longer than I planned bath, soaking in the hot water, my skin turning pink. I enjoyed the warm bath, taking my time, not rushing myself. The hot water relaxed me and I didn't want to move. I was a bit disappointed when the water began to cool, but I unplugged the drain and stepped out, drying off with a big towel. Throwing on my night clothes, I stepped into the hallway, stopping by my room to toss my dirty clothes in the basket.

I noticed that the front door was still cracked, and I padded down the hall to it, opening it and stepping back out onto the porch. Jed was still on the stairs. Wrapping my arms around myself, I shivered as the cold night air made chills splay across my skin. "Jed?" I spoke quietly, causing him to turn back to look at me. "You, uh..comin' in?"

"Yeah." He mumbled, turning back as he sat there for a moment longer. He finally stood from where he sat and I darted back into the house, the wood cold under my feet. Downstairs in Jed's room, I climbed into the bed, pulling the covers up over me as I listened to his footsteps thud down the stairs. Once to the bottom, he walked across the room to his drawer, grabbing something from inside before turning back to the stairs.

I watched him walk away, counting his steps as he left back up the stairs. I knew he was going to take a shower and I snuggled deeper into the blanket and his pillow, trying to warm myself up. It felt as if I were freezing and I couldn't get warm. _Must be my damp hair.._ I thought, wishing Jed would hurry up. I laid there in the quiet and dim lit room, my mind racing.

 _What if someone comes durin' the night? We'll take care of it..don't we always? We? When did I become part of this? I've been part of this.. Made that choice when I jumped outta the truck that day. I didn't ask for this! But...neither did Jed. No, he didn't, did he? What if we just...no, he'd never do it. He'd never leave here. I ran away from that monster but I can't run away from this. Not from him.._

Not even I truly wanted to. _You don't wanna leave. You're just afraid..of what you'll become._ I shivered at the thought. _I've done horrible things.._ The thought of killing John came to my mind. Luring those people from the road. Tying up the cop. Bringing that girl inside to die at the hands of the boy who I was starting to adore. The anger that had boiled up inside of me when that officer came in and talked badly about Jed. Talked about him killing the sheriff and how he was... _Jed is not a freak. He's not a monster. He's.._

 _We were given the shit end of the stick when it came to life._ I thought angrily, wondering what the universe's big plan was for us. Because so far, it had sucked majorly. _But if you hadn't gone through all that... If John wouldn't have been the monster he was..you wouldn't be here._ I rolled the thought over in my brain. I tried to picture a life without my horrendous childhood. Growing up with a loving and doting father. Having a mother in my life..

 _But where's that leave Jed?_ I knew the answer. If I had been an innocent and sweet girl asking for directions, I'd have been dead the moment I stepped foot on the property. The cards happened to be just right for me, landing me in the horrific situation I had been in. I had literally ran into the Sawyers' lives. My mind was racing, but I still couldn't picture a happy life without Jed being a part of it. I knew I was attached to him. I just didn't know why.

Footsteps interrupted my thoughts and my eyes darted over to the stairs to see Jed making his way down them. He threw his dirty clothes in his basket, before walking over to the bed and pulling the covers down. He climbed in beside me, pulling the covers up to his bare chest as he laid on his back. My eyes met his in the dark room, and suddenly, every bad thought began to dissipate. _How do you make me like this?_ I wondered, calming at the warmth his body was giving off.

I scooted over to him, pushing myself up on the bed to kiss his jaw softly before cuddling beside him, my head on his chest and my arm across it. I placed my left hand on the nape of his neck, the warmth of his skin making my cool fingers tingle slightly. _Thu-thump, thu-thump, thu-thump!_ His heart was pounding and I smiled against his chest as I closed my eyes. Jed moved his right arm to rest on my side, his left hand moving so that he could grasp my arm gently. Listening to his heart beat, I felt myself slipping away into sleep.

* * *

 **You guys... I have been writing like a man woman. I have been in the zone lately and I feel bad for periods when I make you all wait for updates. So I'm trying to make up for it !**

 **I absolutely adore all of the sweet words and amazing support this story has gotten. There's much more to come, Evelyn's story with Jed is just beginning !**

 **Thank you to everyone who has Read/Reviewed/Favorited/Followed this story. I appreciate it so very much !**

 **You are all amazing.**

 **~Kaila**


	18. Chapter 18

I awoke with a start. Sitting up abruptly, I listened carefully as Jed sat up with me. "Did you hear that?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. He said nothing as we sat in the darkness, both of us alert. _Thunk, thunk, thunk._ The faint knocking sound made the hairs on my arms stand up. "Someone's knockin' on the door." I whispered, climbing over Jed and off of the bed. "Wait here, okay?" I turned toward him, sleep still evident in my voice. "Just in case it's the law." I turned away without waiting for an answer and darted up the stairs, opening Jed's door. Out in the hallway, I padded down the hall toward the front door, glancing at the clock in the living room. It was just past three in the morning. Stepping up to the door, I peered out of the curtain.

I couldn't see him very well in the darkness, but it appeared to be a man with long hair. Flipping the porch light, I watched as he held his hand up, squinting against the brightness. Unlocking the front door, I took a breath and opened it slightly, peering out at him. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, uh.. Well, you see.." He was slurring, his dark brown eyes slightly red. He was young. Older than me, but a young guy. "I am just a bit lost." He held out his hands and gave me a slight shrug.

"Lost? At three in the mornin'?" I mused.

"Some of my..f-friends and I are out in the lovely Texas forest, camping.." He shook his head. "Don't know who's bright idea that, that, was..but, yeah. Here I am. No clue where, where the hell I am."

"You should go." I said quietly, trying to shut the door.

"Look, look, look!" He pleaded, putting his foot in the door. "I just need a-a-a phone or something." He swayed slightly, but held a firm grip on the door. "You, uh...here alone?" His words made my blood turn to ice.

"No. Grandpa's here." I replied, keeping my tone even.

"Gramps, huh?" The guy grinned. "Come on, sweetheart, just let me in, okay? I just need a phone, maybe some water." He inched his foot further inside and I stepped back from the door. He opened it and came inside. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Your parents leave you here alone with the old man?" He looked around, observing his surroundings.

"My parents are dead." I said coldly. My voice surprised me a little, not sounding like me.

"Ahh, she's wounded." He gave me a slight sad face. "I like that in a girl."

"Thought you wanted to use the phone." I stated, crossing my arms over my chest as I watched him wearily.

"You're really pretty, you, uh...you know that?" He gave me a strange smile and I panicked, the expression looking all too familiar.

"JED!" I took off down the hallway, running toward his room. The door burst open, Jed reaching out to usher me behind him. The man that had started to chase me had stopped, staring at us through the dark hall. Jed pulled the chord of the chainsaw. Once, twice. It started on the third pull, the brattle of the chain loud in my ears as he lumbered down the hallway after the stranger. He didn't move for a moment, and I wasn't sure if he was drunk or on drugs or just frozen in fear.

By the time he tried to bolt, it was too late. Jed was screaming as he ripped into the man with the saw, their screams loud in my ears. I quickly covered my ears, backing into the corner of the wall as I watched Jed tear him apart in the darkness. The man had gone silent, but Jed was still yelling, his screaming animalistic almost. When he didn't stop, I pushed away from the wall and walked quickly toward him, calling out to him.

"Jed.." I said his name softly. "Jedidiah." He raised the chainsaw up, breathing heavily. "It's okay." My voice sounded small. "It's okay, Jed." The chainsaw stopped suddenly, Jed lowering it down a bit. I could hear blood dripping from the chain, the porch light casting an eerie glow on the blood soaked floor. The boy in front of me turned slowly, his wild eyes meeting mine. His bare chest was splattered with blood, along with his face and arms and legs. Blood was pooling at his feet. "I'll clean this up." I said blankly, moving around him and the mess to get into the kitchen.

Digging under the cabinets, I grabbed all the cleaning supplies I thought I'd need, including a mop and bucket. Filling the bucket with hot water, I added in cleaner and watched bubbles form. The hot water gave off steam in the cool kitchen, making me shiver as I carried it through the living room toward the front door. Turning on the light so I could see, I set the bucket down and looked at the mess before me.

Jed was gone, along with most of the body. Pieces and chunks of flesh, organs, and other parts where scattered about, making my stomach churn. I thought I might be sick when the metallic smell of blood hit my nose, but I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. _You're not gonna be sick.. You're not gonna be sick.._ I opened my eyes and knelt down, putting on a pair of rubber gloves. I began picking up the pieces of the stranger who had made his choice. I had given him an out, but he didn't take it.

I scrubbed and scrubbed and mopped and mopped and scrubbed some more. When I finished cleaning the floor, I stood, my knees and feet bloody. Grimacing, I gave the floor a once over and gathered up the cleaning supplies. I threw the last of the dirty water outside where I had been dumping it and refilling it with clean soapy water. Putting everything back in its place, I ran down the hall and jumped into the shower, turning on the hot water.

I scrubbed my legs and arms and hands and feet as hard as I could, watching the blood drizzle down the drain until I was clean. And then I washed myself again. And again. Until the water began to grow cool and I was forced out. Wrapping in a towel, I stood in front of the bathroom door but didn't move. I felt nauseous, exhausted, my stomach churning and knotting at the same time. Trying to keep myself moving and my mind off of everything bad, I grabbed the door handle and opened the door.

As I stepped in the hallway, Jed came from his room, still covered in blood. I left the bathroom door open and padded softly to my room, stepping inside and shutting the door. I dropped the towel from my body, grabbing up a large sleep shirt and shorts, changing into them quickly. It was dark out, but five a.m. was growing closer. Still, I felt exhausted and I wasn't ready for morning yet. I needed more sleep, if I could.

Leaving my room, I headed for Jed's, not even caring about what he had just done. _I tried to get him to leave.._ I reminded myself. _Somethin' was wrong with him.. He was..creepy. I've seen that look before._ I tried to get the look in his eyes out of my head as I took the stairs quickly. Moving across his dark room, I climbed back into the bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. I was shaking and I inhaled deeply, trying to calm myself.

 _Jed wouldn't let anything happen to me.._ I assured, knowing that was one hundred percent true. I knew that he was at that door waiting. Just waiting for the word. A sound, anything to give him reason to come out with that damn chainsaw. Still, my brain wouldn't stop, and I started to wonder what could have happened. _STOP._ I screamed internally at myself to stop thinking about it. _He could've-_

 _STOP._ I rolled over toward the wall, trying to force my body to stop shaking. I laid there, waiting. It felt like an eternity in the cold until I heard those footsteps coming down the stairs. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding as Jed climbed into bed, his arm going around me. He settled in behind me, pulling my shaking body to his warm one. "Ev?" His gravelly voice was laced with concern.

"Hm?" I managed to respond.

"You..you're shakin'."

"Yeah." I whispered, unable to say anything else. I was afraid if I did, I might cry. He pulled me closer to him, as if I could get any closer, and I curled my body into his. Jed's face was against my shoulder and I focused on every breath he took, something about it calming me. I wasn't sure when I stopped shaking, but I fell into a deep and dark sleep with Jed warm against me.

* * *

After cooking breakfast that morning, I scrubbed the floor one more time, cleaning any little spots I missed before. The sun was out, slightly warming the cool day. I took advantage of the sun beaming down, taking mine and Jed's clothes, along with with our bed sheets, outside. I didn't even bother to wash my own sheets. _Not like they get used much anyway right now.._ I thought, smirking to myself.

Once I finished pinning everything in place to dry, I trudged across the yard, making my way to the tire swing. _My tire swing._ I grinned at the thought, climbing inside to sit through the large hole in the middle. Swinging my legs, I began to move back and forth slowly. The sun shown through the tree above, but I was still a little cold. Pressing into the tire swing, I rested my cheek against the cool rubber of the tire as I swung slowly. _How can it get any better than this?_ I wondered, happy for a moment, before my brain began ruining my moment.

 _Not bein' trapped with a bunch of killers._ I closed my eyes as the tire swung. _I ain't trapped.._ I fussed at myself. _And if you tried to leave? Run?_ I thought about the question for a moment. _I don't wanna run._ I opened my eyes, glancing around me. _How could I...leave all of this?_ The land before me gave me an odd peace, and I lifted my head to look toward the house when I heard a noise. Jed was dumping something into the pig pen in the distance, wearing his jeans, boots, and a tank. _How could I leave him?_

I couldn't and I knew that. It didn't matter what happened, what I saw, how scared I was at times... I knew I couldn't leave Jed here. And he wouldn't leave his family, which meant... _I'm stickin' around here._ I watched him walk around the pen, heading back toward the house. The light dip in his step made me smile as I watched him bound up the stairs and into the house.

"Hey, wait!" A voice made me jump, and I saw a girl running from the tall grass beyond the pig pen. She must have seen Jed walking up the porch steps and had tried to stop him. I wasn't sure if he had heard her or not, but he didn't reappear. Which meant he either hadn't heard her, or he had and was going to grab the saw.

I moved quickly, climbing out of the tire swing, my feet hitting the ground. I began walking toward her, waving my arms. "Hey! Hey!" I called, snagging her attention before she reached the porch.

"Oh!" She jogged toward me, giving me a warm smile. "Hi, um, sorry to bother you but.." She reached me, standing a couple of feet away. "I have some friends out that way," she pointed toward the woods in the backyard, "and we're camping, you know, the fun stuff." She laughed. "My name's Diane, sorry, I'm so rude." She laughed again, her red hair fluttering in the wind.

"Evelyn." I said quietly, wishing she had never shown up here.

"I know this is going to sound really weird, but have you seen a guy running around here? Little taller than me, long brown hair.. Probably stoned or drunk or..both." Diane giggled softly, rolling her eyes.

"Uh, no, haven't seen anyone like that." I lied, my eyes on hers.

"Damn.. He wandered off last night and we can't find him anywhere." She muttered, her tone a mix of concern and annoyance.

"Diane!" A voice called out and I grimaced as she turned. I peered around her to see a red headed guy jogging toward us. He had the same light brown eyes as her, freckles splayed across his cheeks...just like her.

"This is my dick of a brother." She punched his arm as he reached us and he grabbed his arm with a fake wounded expression.

"What'd I do?" He whined playfully, looking from me to her.

"Donnie, this is Evelyn." She grinned, looking back at me.

"Hey." I felt my stomach knotting as we stood there.

"Hey." He countered, giving me a warm smile that matched his sister's.

"You live here?" She asked, looking around the place.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Yeah, I live here with my..." I trailed off for a moment. "Family friends."

"It's beautiful out here." Diane was gazing out at the cow pasture.

"It is." I agreed, a noise catching my attention. I saw Jed out on the porch, watching us. The siblings turned to look at him, Diane whirling back to me.

"Who is that?" She asked curiously, and I had a strange feeling come over me as Jed walked back into the house.

"Why don't you two come to the house and you can use the phone to report your friend missin'." I started toward the porch.

"We don't..we don't think he's actually missing, though." Donnie explained. "He was messed up last night, probably just wandered off in the woods and passed out somewhere."

"You're not from around here, huh?" I asked as we got closer to the porch.

"That obvious?" He laughed.

"Look," I stopped walking, glancing from him to his sister, stopping them in their tracks. "I don't wanna scare you two, but... Him bein' out there in the woods, cold, by himself...messed up.. We gotta lot of coyotes and shit out here. Might be best to call it in. Just in case."

"You think he could be hurt?" Diane asked worriedly. _He's a lot more than hurt.._

"Dunno, but better safe than sorry." I shrugged, leading them up the stairs. The hesitantly followed me inside, Donnie shutting the door behind them. _Too trustin'.._ I thought as I headed for the kitchen. "Make yourself at home." My voice sounded smaller than I had anticipated, so I turned quickly toward the counter, preparing to make lunch.

"Where's that guy?" The brother asked suddenly, as his sister sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. Chop's usual seat.

"Probably his room." I replied. "He's..he stays to himself mostly."

"You mind if I use the bathroom?" He asked suddenly, and looked back at him.

"Go 'head. It's down the hall to the left." I instructed, knowing I wouldn't see him again. He disappeared from the room and I walked over to the fridge, grabbing a container from inside. I continued making sandwiches, when suddenly we heard a loud voice.

"What the fuck?" Donnie yelled from the hallway, the sound of the chainsaw coming to life.

"Donnie?" His sister leapt from her chair, running toward the living room.

"RUN!" He yelled, followed by screaming. Then her screams rang out. Snatching up the frying pan I had washed the night before, I ran through the living room to see her standing in the hall, her back to me as she screamed. Darting forward, I reared back and swung the pan as hard as I could. _THUNK!_ It connected with her head, her body crumpling to the floor. Jed was near the bathroom, my actions freezing him where he stood.

His wild blue eyes were on mine, the chainsaw in his hands still running, slinging blood. I looked down at the girl in front of me, seeing that I had busted her head slightly and I had to fight off the urge to puke at my own actions. Taking a breath, I looked back up at Jed. "Jed, we gotta move her." I said numbly, and he cut the chainsaw off, dropping it where he stood. Trudging toward me, he stopped in front of Diane, leaning down to pick her up with ease. He led me down the hall to a the spare back room, dropping her inside.

I ran back to the kitchen, grabbing the rope from under the sink. Darting back down the hall, I stepped into the empty room, kneeling down by the girl. I tied her arms behind her back securely before standing back on my feet. I glanced at Jed, who had blood splattered along his face. "She ain't goin' nowhere.. Why don't you get cleaned up?" My eyes darted back to the girl.

"They lookin' for him?" He growled out the question and I nodded.

"Yeah." I replied before stepping from the room. Jed grabbed the chainsaw and went downstairs as I started back to the kitchen to grab the cleaning supplies.

When I came back, the body was gone, only tiny remains left. Oh, but the blood... The blood was everywhere. I shook my head, trying not to stare at the gruesome scene before me. I hated the images they left in my head. The metallic smell of blood hit my nose and I winced as I knelt down and began scrubbing the floor.

I cleaned and scrubbed until the floor was no longer blood soaked. While I was mopping, Jed had walked past me and went into the bathroom, the shower turning on shortly after. By the time I had the floor clean and the supplies put away back under the sink, he had emerged from the bathroom, appearing as if nothing horrific had ever happened. I walked over to him, my eyes meeting his as I stopped in front of him. "I made lunch." I said blankly, unable to look away from him.

"All right." His tone was softer than usual, throwing me off a bit as he walked past me to get Grandpa and I started toward the kitchen. I saw the three plates that I had made sitting on the counter and my stomach churned. Little did Diane and Donnie know, I wasn't making lunch for them.

* * *

 **I can't guarantee that I'll be able to do this often, but I am super excited to be getting these chapters up !**

 **I absolutely adore Jed and Evelyn.**

 **And guess who else I adore ? YOU ALL !**

 **Thank you all so much for every READ/REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW ! Don't forget that I have a Facebook page (Kaila Britt Fanfiction) and a twitter account (handle is: kailabrittFF) where I post when I update, photo edits for some of my stories, and SHOUT OUTS you you amazing people ! So feel free to like my page or give me a follow or both. It's just a little something extra I try to do for the readers. Because I appreciate you all so very much. So amazing, thank you.**

 **~Kaila**


	19. Chapter 19

"Do you think she's gonna wake up?" I peered down at the girl, who was still knocked unconscious. Jed shrugged lightly, his weary eyes on her.

"Knocked the shit outta her." He mused, glancing at me.

"Yeah, well.." I trailed off. "She's still gotta pulse."

"Don't matter anyway." He growled, leaving the room. I gave her one last look before leaving her alone and shutting the door behind me.

* * *

We'd just finished eating dinner and I was beginning to think I gave her a serious head injury. The day had been quiet, but I refused to let my guard down. I was on edge, my nerves high from all the chaos that had been going on. I wished people would just stay far away from this farm. I didn't want to deal with any of it and I didn't want Jed to have to either. Grabbing a cup of coffee, I walked out onto the porch and sat on the swing.

The sun had already set, night settling in. The yard was dark, the night chilly. I wasn't sure when Jed was planning on dealing with the girl in the back room, but I didn't want any part of it. _Why did I let them in?_ I asked myself, taking a sip of my coffee. But I knew that regardless, whether I had sent them away or brought them to the house, their time had been ticking. Jed would have gotten to them eventually. It was just who he was.

The thought broke my heart. I hated it that Jed had to be _that_ person. The Sawyers had pounded it into his head that he was a killer and it was what he'd become. But I knew different, I knew the sweet and kind boy behind the chainsaw, what I considered to be the real Jed. The shy boy with ocean eyes that had pulled at my heart from the start. There was nothing that could ever make me feel more conflicted than I did now. Because I had seen what Jed had done, but I couldn't make myself be afraid of him. I couldn't look at him in fear. It just wouldn't happen.

A normal person would have hit the door running. _But I'm not normal... Am I?_ I let out a sigh, wondering if I'd ever be. Footsteps thudded softly from inside and I saw Jed appear in the doorway. "Gonna take care of that." He muttered, before turning back inside. I closed my eyes, wishing he didn't have to. _But that's who he is. Does he have to be?_ I knew the answer to that. As long as Verna and the others had any say, this is what Jed was.

Taking another swig of my warm coffee, I listened as Jed came back down the hall, stepping out onto the porch. The red haired girl was still out cold, slung over his shoulder as he made his way down the steps with chainsaw in hand. "Jed?" I called to him, concerned. "Where you goin'?"

"Barn." He answered gruffly, not looking back. I watched him walk toward the pig pen, making his way around it into the darkness. I didn't like it one bit.

I didn't move from the swing. Even when I finished my coffee, I sat out in the cold, waiting. Worrying. _How long's he been gone?_ I wondered, my stomach knotting in anxiety. The night was quiet, eerie, the hair standing up on the back of my neck suddenly. I had a bad feeling and I was growing severely anxious as I waited for Jed to come back. I felt frozen in place, almost as if I was glued to the swing.

I sat in the silent cold night, unsure of what I should do. Jed had been gone for too long. Looking out into the dark yard, I frowned slightly, knowing I did not want to venture out into the dark. I was contemplating going out to look for him, when I heard a noise in the distance. Standing, I tilted my head, trying to pinpoint what the sound was and where it was coming from. It was like a low hum or buzz... _Almost like a..chainsaw._

I stood listening, my heart pounding loudly in my ears. _Should I go out there? Look for him?_ Worried and scared, I decided I had to do what I had to do. I started toward the front door, when a scream stopped me in my tracks. Turning back toward the yard, I stood still, waiting again. Another shrill scream rang out, closer this time. The humming of the chainsaw was growing closer and I could hear the revving now.

A noise ahead made me jump hard and I heard footsteps running closer. "Oh, thank..God!" A girl's voice rang out as she neared the porch. She had long black hair, matted at her forehead from sweat. "You have to-you have to help me!" She yelped running up the steps. "Get inside, GET INSIDE!" She yelled, and I forced myself to move, darting into the house.

"What the hell is goin' on?" I played along, watching her with a confused expression as she locked the door. _There's a back door, genius.._

"There's a crazy man out there!" She was breathing hard. "He-he.. I think he got my boyfriend!" She was peeking through the curtains. "You have to call the police!"

"Uhhh, okay..." I trailed off, watching her.

"He's got a fucking chainsaw! It was supposed to be a rumor, stupid story.. It wasn't supposed to be real!" She was mumbling to herself in a panic.

"What are you talkin' about?" I questioned, staring at her as if she were crazy.

"It was just a stupid story that David told the others.. Have you seen them? My friends?" She whirled around to face me, her eyes wild with fear.

"I ain't seen nobody." I said quietly. "What are you doin' out here, anyway? This's like..the middle of nowhere."

"David dragged us all camping, wanted to show us the "Texas life", yeah... Some shit show this turned out to be!" She growled. "He said there was some stupid rumor about this boy who went crazy and killed some sheriff and I thought... I thought he was just trying to scare us, but.. I saw him. I saw that guy with the chainsaw!"

"Maybe he was just tryin' to scare you off." I suggested. "People around here don't take too kindly to trespassin'."

"You have to call the cops."

"Phone is out." I said surely. "Just...calm down. I ain't ever had any trouble around here. Just..sit down and take a breath."

"You don't understand!" She snapped at me. "Fuck this." She ran past me toward the kitchen.

"Hey!" I yelped, following her. "Hey, what the hell are you doin'?" I questioned as she slung open a kitchen drawer and began digging around.

"You won't listen..." She muttered angrily, opening another drawer. "That'll work just fine." The girl grabbed a very large kitchen knife, holding it up.

"Uhhhh... What are you supposed to do with that?" I raised an eyebrow, my eyes on hers.

"I'm going to kill him."

"With that?" I huffed out a half laugh. "You're tellin' me some guy's runnin' around out in the night with a chainsaw..and you're gonna kill him with a kitchen knife."

"I'm not-" She stopped abruptly, giving me a strange look. Cutting her eyes, she stared at me. "Wait.. Why are you so calm?"

"What?" I was thrown off by her question.

"You," the strange girl took a step toward me, "don't seemed the least bit freaked out.. I bust up in here talking about a deranged lunatic chasing me with a chainsaw... And you say that it's someone trying to scare me? You know something."

"No..." I gripped my coffee cup a little tighter. "I've just never had anything like this happen before. How do I know you're not crazy?"

"Stay back!" She growled, glaring at me.

"You're the one steppin' closer." I muttered through gritted teeth.

"Where is everyone, hm? Where's your family?"

"They're on a trip." I answered honestly.

"And just left you here alone? No way, who is here?" The girl asked, stepping closer to me.

"Just Grandpa...and me." I replied, wishing she'd back off.

"I think you're lying."

"You don't even know me." I countered, watching her wearily. "You ran up in my house, remember?"

"You think you're funny." Her eyes were dark, her expression different than before.

"I think you've lost your damn mind." I growled, and she lurched forward with the knife. Instinctively, I reached out, grabbing the blade to keep her from stabbing me. The knife sliced across my hand, and I screamed, rearing my arm back. _CRASH!_ The coffee cup shattered over her head, stunning her for a moment. I grabbed a kitchen chair, ramming her into the counter. She yelled out in pain, the knife falling from her hand. I slung the chair back, holding it by the back rest with my good hand as I moved to kick the knife away from her.

She took the opportunity to rush me. Before I could sling the chair, she hit me full force, both of us falling to the kitchen floor. _THUNK!_ My back hit the hard wood and I felt like I couldn't breathe. She was scrambling to get on top of me and my fight instincts kicked in hard as I tried to roll away from her. She grabbed me, trying to get her hands around my throat as I fought to get away. She was choking me suddenly and I gasped for air, trying to fight her off of me. When her hands tightened around my neck, I panicked, unable to breathe. _You...gotta do...somethin' fast.._

Grabbing a handful of her dark hair, I wrapped it around my hand and began yanking hard, her head bobbing wildly as she began trying to pry my fingers loose. Using that to my advantage, I let her hair go and scooted backward, raising my leg. Kicking out, my boot connected with her face, sending her backward onto the kitchen floor. I jumped up coughing, looking around frantically. Opening one of the cabinets, I grabbed the meat mallet that Verna kept inside and turned to the girl. She was lying on the floor, holding her face, moaning in pain.

My hand was stinging, blood drizzling down it as it dripped to the floor. My head was spinning, my heart pounding loudly in my ears as I tried to catch my breath. I coughed again, before walking slowly toward her. Looking down at the girl, I stared at her with the mallet in my hand. She glanced up at me, her nose and mouth bloody. She appeared to be disoriented, her eyes fluttering as she tried to focus on me.

A sudden noise made me jump, nearly dropping the mallet. I snapped my head up to see Jed standing in the doorway of the kitchen, his confused eyes on mine. He had a little blood splattered across his clothes and tiny speckles on his face. He glanced down at my hand, seeing the blood dripping from my fingertips. His expression immediately changed to concern and anger as he stepped over to me. "What happened?"

"She ran in here sayin' she was bein' chased." I managed to say, feeling dizzy. "She just grabbed a knife and-and she started questionin' me about why I wasn't panickin'.. She just came at me with the knife." I explained, my eyes darting back to the girl on the floor. Jed took the mallet from my hand and walked over to her. He hit her hard, three clean hits, before slinging the bloody thing onto the counter. The girl did not move again.

"Bleedin' pretty bad." He mumbled, walking back over to me, inspecting my hand. "Gonna have to stitch that."

"Shit." I muttered, glancing down at the cut across my hand. It was wide open, making me feel nauseous. Pain shot down fingers and up my hand, making me wince slightly.

"Come on." Jed started out of the kitchen and I followed behind him. He stopped by the bathroom, grabbing something to clean the wound, before continuing down the hall. The boy led me down into his room and when we reached the bottom of the stairs, he walked over to his table and sat down.

"Where do you want me?" I grimaced, not ready to do this. Jed glanced around, obviously trying to figure out how we were going to do this. "Fuck it." I muttered, moving to sit on his leg. I was half on his lap as I put my right hand down on the table.

"This's, uh, gonna burn like hell." Jed mumbled, unscrewing the cap to the bottle.

"Just do it." I said quietly, turning my head. My face was close to his as I prepared for the sting. I heard him tip the bottle, the liquid pouring out onto my open cut. "Shit, shit, shit!" I whispered harshly, my free hand grabbing at the shoulder of his shirt. I balled my fist, grabbing onto the material as my hand burned like it was on fire.

It was a searing pain, like someone cutting me all over again with a hot knife. Jed gently wiped the excess blood away from my palm, before he moved his arm around me. I could feel him moving slightly as he prepared the needle and thread. I turned my head to see him disinfecting the needle and I took a deep breath. "Here we go.." I whispered, looking away.

"Just...try to be still." His voice was etched with worry.

"All right." I nodded, forcing myself not to look. His hands touched mine and he hesitated for a moment before I felt a sharp sting.

I clenched my jaw as he pushed the needle through my skin, the feeling making my stomach churn. I could feel the thread slipping through my skin and I thought I might be sick as Jed pulled it and tied it off. He started on the next stitch, the needle causing a sharp sting across my palm. Once it was through, my hand went to the back of his head, grabbing the hair at the base of his neck. I pushed my forehead into the side of his face, preparing for the next one.

"Ev?" His gravelly voice was concerned as he hesitated.

"I'm okay..." I took another breath. "I'm okay."

He started again and I held my breath as he pushed the needle through my skin. Pressing my head into his, I gripped his hair hard, gritting my teeth at the pain. He continued doing each stitch, tying them off and starting again as I held onto him tightly. Even when I started growing numb to the pain, I didn't let him go. My hand was tingling a bit, and I wasn't sure if it was the way I was positioned or the extreme pain making it numb, but I was grateful.

"One more." Jed mumbled quietly, pushing the needle through one last time and tying it off. I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding, loosening my grip on him. Resting my head on his shoulder, I sat there for a moment trying to pull myself together. I was shaking, feeling nauseous as we sat in silence.

"Thank you." I whispered, managing to lift my head. "Jed, I gotta lay down." I felt dizzy suddenly, tightening my grip on him again. The boy was silent as he pushed me up gently to my feet, standing beside me. He put his arm around my waist, leading me to the bed. Easing me into a sitting position, he gave me one last look before leaving me alone in the room.

I wanted to lay back on the bed and just fall asleep. My hand was beginning to throb sharply, sending shooting pains up my arm and down into my fingertips. I sat on the bed, eyes closed, trying to ignore the pain. Huffing out a pained half laugh, I shook my head. _Yeah, okay.._ I thought, wincing at my throbbing palm. I wasn't sure how long I had been sitting there, when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and I opened my eyes to see Jed stepping down from the last stair. He had something in his hands as he walked up to me, his eyes on mine.

"Can you, uh..get dressed?" The boy in front of me asked, holding out my clothes. I gave him a half smile, taking them.

"I think so." I forced myself to my feet, feeling dizzy again. Jed gave me an odd look, before walking over to his table and grabbing a lit candle. Turning back to me, his finger went under my chin, lifting my head a bit. "What?" I asked, confused as my eyes met his.

"You're startin' to bruise." Jed said, his voice lined with anger.

"Yeah, she choked the shit outta me for a minute, there." I grumbled, touching my neck with my left hand. "Jed, I dunno if I can..." I grabbed his shoulder, feeling extremely light headed. He steadied me, holding onto me with one hand.

"Hold on.." He let me go for a moment, putting the candle back down on the table before stepping back to me. "What'd you want me to do?"

"I don't know." I whispered softly, feeling nervous suddenly. Between the crazy girl choking me and having to fight her off, and me bleeding all over the place, I was anxious and exhausted.

"I can..." Jed trailed off, his tone unsure. I nodded as he moved in front of me, unbuttoning the flannel shirt I was wearing. I stood still, my eyes locked on his as he got the last button, helping me shrug out of the shirt. He was careful to avoid rubbing the material across my hand, tossing the shirt in his basket. Jedidiah hesitated for a moment, watching me with worried eyes.

"It's okay, Jed." I assured him, and he moved behind me, grabbing the edges of my tank. I held my breath as he pulled it up over my body. I was little, and I often decided against wearing a bra, as I really didn't even need one. Most days I could get away with wearing a tank and a long sleeved shirt without anyone ever noticing the difference. John used to say I'd "fill out" eventually, but I was glad I never did. The thought made me shiver and I felt naked.

 _Probably 'cause you're halfway there._ I thought to myself, the cool room causing chills to splay across my skin. I reached down to unbutton my jeans, pushing them down and kicking them to the side. Jed stayed behind me, helping me into my shirt before moving to stand in front of me. He handed me my shorts, but I just pushed his hand away gently. "Thank you, Jedidiah." I said softly, turning away from him to climb in the bed. I made sure not to put pressure on my hand as I tried to get comfortable.

Jed got out of his blood splattered clothes, climbing in bed beside me. I laid on my side, feeling him press against me from behind. His face nuzzled into the back of my neck, his warm breath on my skin.

* * *

 **Jed and Evelyn are not catching a break. Verna and the boys need to hurry home so they can get back to running the show. Evelyn is sick of having to take care of things on her own when it comes to the way the Sawyers handle strangers. But on a side note... Jed and Evelyn are so cute, right ? I am trying to show how their bond is growing stronger and stronger the longer they are together. I really want them to have that "unbreakable" type of bond and I only hope I can portray it perfectly as time goes on.**

 **I am so very grateful for all of you lovely readers. You are all absolutely amazing. Thank you for ever READ/REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW ! I only hope I continue to keep you guys reading and on your toes about this story. Thank you to everyone who supports my writing.**

 **~Kaila.**


	20. Chapter 20

I awoke the next morning to an empty bed. Rolling over, I laid on my back with a frown, my hand throbbing painfully, my throat feeling tender. The previous night's events came rushing back to me and I let out a breath, forcing myself to sit up. I grimaced when a wave of dizziness came over me, closing my eyes for a moment to mentally steady myself. After a few seconds I opened them, pushing the covers off and swinging my legs over to stand from the bed.

The wood floor was cold under my feet, and I trudged to the stairs, taking them slowly as I made my way up to Jed's door. It was cracked, and when I reached the top, I pushed it open and stepped into the hall. I was waking up a bit more as I walked to my room, opening the door and stepping inside. Shutting it behind me, I didn't bother locking it as I went to my drawer and grabbed clean clothes for the day.

I took a quick bath, avoiding getting my right hand wet. My head was hurting a little and I was just ready for the day to be over with. _You just woke up.._ I thought, standing from the tub. Drying my body and hair, I changed into a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt before brushing my hair and teeth. I stared at myself in the mirror, seeing the purple fingerprint bruises along my throat. Clenching my jaw, I cursed my body for bruising so easily. Pushing away from the sink, I left the bathroom and made one last stop by my room, dumping my dirty clothes and heading to the kitchen.

Making breakfast was tricky. I managed to make pancakes, the easiest thing I could think of with only one hand at my complete use. The last thing I wanted to do was rip my stitches or get the wound infected. My eyes darted down to my palm as I set the table and I frowned at the nasty cut. _That's definitely gonna leave a scar._ I forced my eyes back to the food in front of me, setting the pancakes in the middle of the kitchen table.

"How you feelin'?" Jed's voice made me jump, and I glanced up to see him standing in the kitchen's doorway.

"Throbbin' like hell." I muttered, my voice a bit hoarse.

"Shit.." He shook his head, walking over to me. His hand grabbed my chin softly, his thumb resting on the front of it as he tilted my head upward with ease. Jed was inspecting my neck with concerned eyes and I huffed out a tiny half laugh.

"It's not that bad." I tried. "I bruise easy anyway."

"Looks bad." He countered.

"Thanks for cleanin' the mess." I changed the subject, referring to the wreck that occurred in the kitchen the night before.

"Can't risk that gettin' infected." He let go of my chin, carefully taking my hand. The boy in front of me looked it over, his eyes seeming to wander over every individual stitch. I felt that familiar smile trying to creep onto my lips that only Jed could get out of me. "Sorry.." He shook his head, avoiding my eyes as he let go of my hand.

"For what?" I questioned, watching him in confusion.

"Shouldn't have left the house last night." He growled, his eyes on the floor.

"Jed, I'm fine." I stepped to him, bumping his shoulder with mine. "It wasn't your fault. Why don't you get Grandpa, we'll have breakfast..." I started walking backward toward the counter. "A little music.." I turned, pushing the button on the radio. Music filled the room as I moved away from the counter, my eyes on his. He gave me a nod before leaving the kitchen.

I sat down in my usual seat, humming along to the radio as Jed finally came back into the kitchen, helping Grandpa to his chair. Once he was situated, Jed sat down in his own chair beside mine, and I leaned my head over onto his shoulder for a moment. He didn't move until I raised back up, grabbing my fork. It was just a small gesture of affection, but that was my way of letting him know I was okay. He appeared to relax a bit, which made me feel better. I didn't want him to think it was his fault. It wasn't.

After breakfast, I found myself on the porch with a cup of hot coffee. I couldn't do much with my hand, which left Jed to pick up the slack. I felt bad, wanting to be able to do my usual chores. The boy had refused to let me wash dishes or gather eggs. Any kind of cleaning was pretty much off limits with the fresh wound on my hand. So I decided to sit outside and enjoy the cool sunny day, watching Jed out by the pig pen. He was feeding the pigs, and I watched as he stopped for a moment to shrug out of his flannel shirt, leaving him in a tank.

 _He couldn't be more perfect.._ I took a sip of my coffee, mentally scolding myself. _What? Am I not allowed to feel the way I do?_ I felt oddly conflicted about my feelings toward Jed. It was like I knew how and what I was feeling, but a small part of me was still terrified to let myself feel for him. It had nothing to do with Jed and everything to do with how I grew up. _He's not John._

I knew that, too. I knew he was nothing like him. But I didn't know what I was doing, I didn't know how this whole thing worked. _We seem to be doin' all right so far.._ And in all honesty, I really did believe that. Neither of us ever had really had anyone to show us what was supposed to happen or how to act when you found yourself with someone you connected with like we had done. But I liked the way we did things and I didn't want that to ever change.

 _What about..Verna? The boys?_ I wondered, worrying about when they'd be home. I knew it could be any day now. They could come back early, they could come back late.. But it was coming. _What then? I just go back to sleepin' in my room like nothin' ever happened? We just go back to... No._ I was not having it. _What if they don't get it? Understand..us?_ The questions bothered me, creating concern for how they'd react.

Well, not really _they_ , but how his mother would react. The more I thought about it, I was fairly certain the brothers wouldn't too much care if Jed and I liked each other and had grown close. Sure, there'd be much teasing and torment for both of us, as I was sure they'd embarrass us every chance they got. But when it came to Verna, she was very protective of her boys and I knew that when she had her mind made up about something... There was no argument, no changing it.

Sighing as I watched Jed leaning over the fence to pour in, God knows what, I took another sip of my coffee. In that moment, I realized that I had to stop being such a scared little girl. John was dead and gone, never to return. Never to threaten me or beat me or touch me or say one little thing to me. And Jed... Jed was one of the most stable things I'd ever had in my life. And while I was comfortable with the way thing were, with the way _we_ were, I wanted more. I was scared and anxious and nervous.. But I wanted more.

I didn't want my past to haunt me forever. And it was crazy, probably utterly insane, the situation I had found myself in with the Sawyers. Even more insane was the fact that even though I living in a house with people like them, people who brutally murdered others like it was nothing, I had never felt more whole in my life than I did with Jed. I had grown up in my own secret hell with the Devil himself, I had never felt a part of anything or liked I belonged. I had always felt that something was missing. It made me miserable, sad.. Incomplete.

But ever since Jedidiah.. He was like a piece to a puzzle that fit perfectly in that spot. I didn't feel that gaping hole anymore that I once felt. The one that made me wish I could float away. Disappear and never be found. The hole that, on the really bad days, had made me wish I was dead. Because that had to have been better than the hell I was enduring at the time. But that was what I had done. I had fought like hell to survive that nightmare. And I would push through anything else that was thrown my way. I felt stronger than I ever had.

I owed that to the Sawyers. To Jed. Maybe their way of life was wrong...bad. Still, they had embraced the scared little girl who had turned to killing her own father to escape him. They had brought me in and showed me that it didn't have to be the way I had always thought it had to be. Things could be different, things can always be different. What they did, killing people the way they did, was wrong. I'd probably never get used to it. Maybe not ever truly understand it.

The one thing I did understand was Jed. Just like how I had my own fears and confusions, he did as well. He wasn't the killer that Verna wanted him to be. To an extent, yes. All the way? No. The boy still had a piece of his old self and I was determined with every fiber of my being to help him keep that piece. However tiny it might be, I refused to let him lose it.

* * *

The day seemed to go by slowly, my hand hurting all day long. I sat on the porch, swinging most of the day away, only going inside to make lunch. The sun was close to setting now and I watched the colors swirling in the sky. The fiery oranges and deep purples seemed to arrange perfectly with the light pinks against the blue sky. I couldn't peel my eyes away from it as I sat sideways on the swing, just watching the sun slowly slip from view.

 _I'll never get tired of that._ I thought, gazing at the beautiful sight above me. When the sun disappeared in the distance, the colors slowly went with it, leaving me with a dimming sky. Forcing myself to my feet, I wandered into the house and headed for the kitchen. Turning on the radio, I sang along to the songs I liked as I prepared dinner for the three of us. I felt a pang of sadness, realizing how badly I didn't want this to end. Just having the three of us here.

Trying to shoo the thoughts away, I finished cooking dinner and set the table. Jed came through the front door and walked down the hallway. He promptly returned with his grandfather, helping him get settled in before taking his seat. I sat down beside Jed and we ate our dinner in a comfortable silence. Grandpa tapping his foot here and there to certain songs made me smile to myself.

Once again, Jed refused to let me wash dishes and I retreated to the front porch. I felt weird not being able to my usual routine, but I understood the importance of taking care of the wound. I sat in the swing, enjoying the night air. Despite it being quite chilly, I relaxed against the swing, listening to the sounds of the night. I closed my eyes, feeling calm. It was a wonderful feeling, considering things around here often caused me to be on edge.

"Ev?" Jed's voice pulled me back to reality. I had been sitting out there for a while, the night growing later and later. I stood from my seat, walking toward him. I noticed his hair was wet as I got closer. Stepping inside, he shut the door behind me. We started down the hallway to his door and I yawned as we reached it. The boy beside me reached in front of me, opening it. I walked down the stairs, happy to see the bed before me.

Before I even had the chance to walk toward it, a sharp knock from upstairs made me freeze in my tracks. I looked at Jed, grimacing at the sound. _Knock, knock, knock!_ "What now? Can't we have one night of peace?" I growled, marching past him back up the steps. My hand was throbbing, making me irritated as I trudged down the hallway to the front door. Flipping the porch light on, I opened the door just a crack, peering out to see who was knocking.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you.." There were two guys standing there. The one speaking had short dark brown hair.

"Yeah, well..it's pretty late." I fussed.

"I just need to ask you if you've seen a guy around here anywhere? Maybe stopped by lost or somethin'?" He asked, his friend remaining silent.

"Sorry, haven't seen anyone." I started to shut the door.

"Whoa, please!" He pushed the door a little harder than I think he meant to, forcing me to step back. "Damn, girl... What the hell happened to you?" His eyes darted from my neck to my hand.

"I had an accident." I replied blankly, keeping my eyes on him.

"That don't look like no accident..you okay?" He questioned and I frowned.

"I'm fine. Look, I ain't seen no one around here, okay. I really just wanna go to sleep, I'm tired." I glanced at his friend.

"Do you have a phone at least?"

"Or maybe some water?" The other guy spoke up.

"Phone's out.." I shrugged.

"Water?" The other one pressed.

"I don't feel comfortable lettin' strangers into my home." I crossed my arms over my chest, the cold air making me shiver.

"We understand, it's just... We've been walkin' these woods all day and night." The dark haired one explained quietly. "I'm tryin' to find my brother, him and some friends went campin' and we were supposed to meet them. Their stuff was there but they weren't."

"Well, if they're on private property, someone probably called the law." I raised an eyebrow. "Which is what I should be doin'."

"Thought you said the phone was out." He countered, earning a smirk from me.

"Why do you think I said "should"..." I trailed off, weighing my options. "Guess you can get some water." I turned away from them, walking toward the kitchen. The two followed me inside, standing by the kitchen table as I grabbed two glasses from the cabinet.

"Really odd.." I heard a _clink_ that made me snap my head back toward them. The guy asking all the questions was holding up a necklace. It was broken at the clasp, dangling in his hand. "I just happened to find this at the wood line.. My brother's necklace."

"And?" My eyes were on his as I held my cool.

"And I know my brother. If he needed help, he would've knocked on your door."

"Well, I have not seen anyone. Do I need to spell it out for you?" I snapped, growing more anxious at his attitude.

"Those bruises..that cut looks pretty fresh." He took a step toward me.

"You're not telling us something." His friend seemed to agree.

"It's none of your goddamn business." I stated icily, glancing at the counter. The mallet was still there and, thankfully, Jed had cleaned it.

"It is if it's got somethin' to do with my brother."

"I haven't seen him." I stood my ground. I heard the _thunk, thunk_ of footsteps coming down the hall and I smirked, knowing it was about to be all over with. The sound of Jed yanking the chainsaw could be heard as he got closer.

"What the hell is that?" The second guy was looking toward the kitchen doorway, his friend turning too. _Two..three.._ The chainsaw came to life, obviously startling the boys. I made my move, grabbing the mallet on the counter top. Whirling, I swung it as hard as I could with my left arm, catching the dark haired one in the side of his head. The necklace flew from his hand as he stumbled, grabbing his head. "WHAT THE FUCK, YOU CRAZY-" His friend was yelling at me, but he was cut off when Jed stepped into the kitchen with the chainsaw. They were distracted momentarily, and I swung my arm again, hitting the guy in the back of the head. He went down to his knees, letting out a howl of pain.

Jed started toward us from across the kitchen, the other guy frozen where he stood. Jed was almost on him, when he reached back, trying to grab me. The boy in front of us lurched forward, catching him in the arm with the chainsaw. He screamed as flood flew, the chain slinging it up my face. Though the spinning chain was a bit closer to me than I was comfortable with, I trusted Jed not to miss as he tore into the guy, his screams weakening as blood splattered about.

"Jed!" I yelped, moving around him to grab his shoulder. "Jed, stop! The other one.." I was trying to get him to stop ripping the second guy apart. He backed off, forcing me to take a step back. The chain was spinning slower now as he turned to face the guy on the floor. "Jedidiah.." I held out the mallet to him, hoping he'd take it. His wild blue eyes darted to meet mine before he glanced down.

The saw stopped spinning and he put it down on the floor. The blood splattered boy took the mallet, stepping toward the wounded guy. He was on his knees, trying to keep himself steady. Jed raised his arm, hitting him. Again. And again and again. More blood flew as he beat the stranger's head in. My stomach began to churn and I jumped forward to grab him once again. "Okay! Okay... I think he's dead." I mumbled, feeling sticky from the blood. I could feel it cooling slightly on my face and neck. My white shirt was splattered with dark red blood, making me wrinkle my nose in disgust.

Jed didn't move as he stared down at the dead guy, his eyes still wild. He hadn't calmed down yet, still in that killer mode that lied within him. He plunked the mallet on the counter and started to bend down to the guy but I grabbed his arm. "Jed..." I trailed off as he straightened back up, glancing at me. "Can't we just..clean this up in the mornin'?" I gave him a pleading look. I knew that the Sawyers had a way of doing things, but I was just exhausted.

To my surprise, he nodded, and I gave a sigh of relief. He grabbed the chainsaw and we left the kitchen, starting back down the hallway. "If anyone else knocks on that damn door... You're answerin' it!" I fussed playfully as we reached his open door. I could see his lips twitch upward, but he said nothing as I started down the stairs. His footsteps followed behind mine as we made our way back down into his room. I knew I needed a shower, but I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. My hand was throbbing, my neck was tender and I wanted sleep.

Stepping over to his clothes basket, I grabbed one of his shirts, wiping my face the best I could. The sticky blood made my stomach knot and churn, but I was too tired to focus on it that much. Jed plunked the chainsaw down and walked over to me, pulling his blood soaked t-shirt off and placing it in the basket. My eyes met his and we stood frozen, staring at each other. My heart began to pound and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when he took a step toward me, closing the gap between us.

The blue eyed boy in front of me leaned down to me, but he didn't kiss me. I could feel his breath tickling my lips and I don't know why, but I leaned up to him, my mouth touching his. Upon our lips making contact, I felt my heels touch the floor, separating us. I looked up at him, my heart beating so hard I thought he might hear it trying to burst from my chest. Jed said nothing as he leaned back down, his bloody hand touching my cheek as he kissed me again. I closed my eyes at his touch, afraid my knees might buckle at the feeling of his lips pressed to mine.

Jed broke the kiss softly, his nose brushing mine gently as his hand slipped from my face. I couldn't breathe for a moment, my eyes on his as he immediately looked down at the ground before stepping toward the bed. I felt my neck and face growing warm as I climbed onto the bed, being careful not to put pressure on my hand. Jed still had blood on him, as did I, but I didn't care. I laid on my stomach, resting my right arm so that my hand would be comfortable as Jed settled in beside me.

His arm went over my back as he pressed into me, his face nuzzling in the back of my neck. I could feel his breath in my hair, and though I was still reeling from our kiss, it wasn't long before I was sound asleep.

* * *

 **We've reached a milestone ! Their first kiss ! I'm so excited about this chapter, I just had to post tonight.**

 **I apologize for making you all wait as long as I have, but here it is.**

 **I hope you guys are still loving reading this story as much as I am enjoying writing it.**

 **You're all amazing, by the way. Every read/review/favorite/follow... Lawd, I'm so grateful for my awesome readers.**

 **~Kaila.**


	21. Chapter 21

A noise made me jerk awake. I could feel Jed's face still nuzzled against the back of my neck, his arm resting across my back. I listened carefully, trying to figure out if I had been dreaming. Quiet footsteps on Jed's stairs confirmed that I had not been dreaming, panic swelling up inside of me with each step. I was about to move to sit up when a familiar voice hit my ears. "Well, well, well...what do we have here?" C.T.'s voice was teasing, the hint of a smile on his lips.

Jed jerked his head up from me, turning to look back at the stairs. I rolled on my side and sat up to see his brother leaning against the railing with a sheepish grin. "JED?" I could hear Verna calling out worriedly from upstairs. The footsteps upstairs sounded much louder than they actually were and I wasn't sure what was louder, her walking towards Jed's door or my heart pounding in my chest.

"He's okay, Mama!" C.T. called.

"Shit, the kitchen." I mumbled, glancing at Jed's groggy expression. His face had streaks and splatters of dark dried blood from last night's events along his perfect sleepy face.

"Evelyn?" His brother started down the steps toward us. "Shit, girl.. What happened to your face?"

"Jed?" Verna was coming down the stairs and I felt nervous suddenly as she appeared. Her expression changed slightly when she saw me, but she recovered quickly. "Evelyn.. Are you two oka-" She stopped speaking suddenly when she reached the bottom step.

"What the hell.." Chop Top shook his head, throwing his arms up in question.

"It's a long story." I muttered, touching my head as I tried to hide the blush threatening to creep onto my face. I could feel the heat in my chest as Jed sat up on the bed beside me, looking at his brother and mother.

"Your hand? What happened to your hand?" Verna fussed, hand going to her hip. Jed glanced at me, his expression showing the smirk he was attempting to hide.

"We had some lovely visitors while you were away." I mumbled with playful sarcasm.

"Looks like you two had quite a time." C.T. grinned, earning a slight glare from me.

"Why don't you two get up and I'll make breakfast." Verna's tone had a hint of sternness to it and it made my stomach knot. "Then we'll talk."

"Yes, ma'am." I said quietly as Jed nodded. Her and C.T. started up the stairs, Jed's brother raising his eyebrows before bounding up them. I looked at Jed, grimacing before lying back against the pillow. He was eyeing me with a confused expression and I groaned. "I'm not sure what's worse..knowin' C.T.'s never gonna let this go or the that your mama's gonna kill me in my sleep."

Jed's lips twitched upward as he rolled over toward me. His fingertips brushed my neck as he pressed his face into mine, kissing the side of my head quickly before rolling back over and standing from the bed. He dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, dried blood from last night still on his arms and face. I knew I was probably mirroring his appearance as I stood from the bed and put my jeans on carefully. Maneuvering my way into a clean shirt that Jed had handed me, I gave him one last look before starting toward the stairs.

I walked up them, each one closer to the top making my gut wrench. I wasn't sure what Verna was going to say about finding me in Jed's bed, but I was fairly certain she wasn't going to be thrilled. What mother would be? She was so protective over him and I didn't want to be on her bad side. I'd seen what happened to those who had made that mistake. Taking a breath, I pushed Jed's door open and stepped out into the hall, Jed right behind me.

As I started down the hallway, my anxiety lessened ever so slightly, just knowing that he was behind me. Something about Jed made me feel safe, regardless of the things he had done, and I knew in my heart that he'd have my back with whatever I decided to tell. If I had to make something up to keep us both out of trouble, I would. She didn't have to know every little detail. In fact, I thought it better that she didn't.

"What a sight to see!" Drayton chuckled as we shuffled into the kitchen, sitting in our usual chairs at the table.

"Nice to see you, too." I croaked, looking up at him.

"What the fuck happened while we were gone?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he skimmed over my neck with his eyes.

"Evelyn, ya look like hell." Nubbins was watching me with curious eyes.

"Thanks." I muttered, glancing at him then to Verna. She was standing at the counter, her eyes on mine as if she were waiting for me to talk. "Fireworks." I finally said casually, looking back at Nubbins.

"Fireworks?" He countered, obviously confused. I giggled softly at his expression, trying to keep my cool.

"We saw fireworks. People out in the woods campin'... Guess where they came pokin' around?"

"Ahhhh." C.T. nodded.

"Yeah, it was a mess." I shook my head. "More showed up, one of them...this girl, who was a little whacked out, she attacked me." I held up my hand. "But, uh," I glanced at Jed, "we took care of that."

"What about the two in here this mornin'?" Verna questioned and I gave her a little grimace.

"That was my fault.. Two guys, one lookin' for his brother... I was just exhausted. Jed and I were gonna clean that up this mornin'." I explained, watching her wearily.

"Little too busy for that, huh?" Nubbins grinned, making my face feel hot.

"We were just sleepin." I argued softly, looking down at my empty plate.

"Jed stitch up that hand?" Their mother asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good.." She looked at her youngest son, before back at me. "But that don't explain why you two were in his bed."

"Mama, she.." Jed glanced at me before looking back to his mother. Everyone in the kitchen was staring at him, waiting for him to speak. "I was worried." He said quietly. "Told her to sleep in my bed so I could keep an eye on her, make sure she was all right." My eyes were on him as he spoke. "Didn't know what else to do."

"That girl choked me pretty hard," I touched my throat, glancing down at the table, "she was tryin' to kill me." I huffed out a slight laugh.

"What's funny about that?" Nubbins asked, catching my eye.

"Uh.. I guess the part where she probably wasn't expectin' me to get away and kick her in the face." I shrugged.

"Broke her nose." Jed spoke up, looking at me.

"Yeah, well, she came at me with a knife..tried to choke me to death.." I glanced over at him. "If you wouldn't have come in... I probably would've killed her."

"Why didn't you?" Nubbins questioned, his eyes on mine.

"My head was spinnin'." I forced out a fake half laugh. "I was just regainin' my balance." It was a lie and Jed knew it. I knew that he did. I wasn't sure why I froze, maybe I was just too shocked and angry to react immediately. "I did, however, clock the shit outta that one jackass that was in here last night. Left handed, at that." My words earned a playful snort from Jed, who nodded in agreement.

"Speakin' of your hand, how's that cut look?" Verna pushed away from the counter, walking toward the table.

"Little sore." I admitted, holding it up for her to inspect.

"Doesn't look infected." She was holding my hand in hers to get a better look. "You did good, Jed." He glanced down at the the table as she let my hand go.

"It hurt?" C.T. asked, snagging my attention away from his younger brother. I stared down at the cut.

"Like hell." I smiled lightly before looking up at him. "The stitches did, anyway."

"Jed took his like a champ, didn't you, little bro?" His older brother clapped him on the shoulder playfully.

"Hn." Jed grunted with a smirk. But his eyes me mine again, concern swirling around in all of that blue.

"Oh, before I forget.." Verna turned away from us, moving to the counter. She rummaged through her purse before walking back to the table with something in her hand. "This is yours." She extended her arm to me, my eyes falling on the money in her hand.

"For me?" I asked in confusion. "What for?"

"Allowance." Verna jerked her hand for me to take it. I did so carefully, glancing down at the money in my hand. _Whoa..._

"I can't.." I shook my head. "That's twenty-five dollars.."

"You've been earnin' your keep. The boys get theirs, too." She smiled. "You can use it to get clothes and whatever you need. Spend it wisely." Her motherly tone stayed in her voice as she looked around at her boys. "That goes for all of you."

"Yes, ma'am." The boys mumbled quietly.

"I'll get breakfast started." She announced, moving around the kitchen.

"So, now that y'all know about all our excitement..how'd the trade go?" I asked, needing get them talking about anything but what they had walked into this morning.

"Nowhere near the fun you two had." C.T. mumbled, cracking a grin. "That's for sure."

"Wouldn't call this," I motioned at my neck with my stitched hand, "fun."

"You cry?" Nubbins asked, earning a snort from me.

"No." I replied surely.

"Damn." Drayton gave me an approving glance. I grinned as the boys began rambling on, poking back and forth at each other. Verna finished breakfast and it felt oddly familiar having them back around the table for a meal. We ate, talking here and there about random things. They asked Jed and I how Grandpa had been while we were gone and Jed mentioned that he had asked when Drayton was coming home. The older brother chuckled as he ate his last bite of eggs.

Once every plate was clean, the boys slipped out one by one, leaving Verna and I alone in the kitchen. I started gathering dishes to take to the sink when she spoke up. "Why don't you go get washed up. I can handle those."

"I really don't mind." I said quietly. She remained silent as I took the plates one at a time to the sink. When I turned away from the counter, she was eyeing me with an expression I couldn't quite read.

"You should be careful, you know. Wouldn't want Jed to get the wrong idea."

"Wrong idea?" I questioned, my stomach knotting up at her words.

"Might think somethin' more of you..you sleepin' in his bed like that." She leaned against the counter, her eyes on mine.

"Mrs. Sawyer..." I trailed off for a moment, trying to find my words. "He really was just makin' sure I was okay."

"Okay..then." His mother gave me a nod. "Go get cleaned up." She instructed.

"Yes, ma'am." I left the kitchen, the realization that they were really home sinking in. I knew what that meant. No more sleeping in Jed's bed. No more quiet coffee nights or sitting in the front doorway watching the rain. No more having music blasting and dancing around the kitchen, no more Jed pressed against me at night.

Our days together, just the two of us, had come to an end.

* * *

 **I am so so so sorry for the long update wait !**

 **I have been going through some rough shit and I am trying to get myself back together.**

 **I've finally gotten back to my writing, I've missed it so much.**

 **You all are amazing and thank you for not giving up on me ! I'm still here and this story is NOT over and I would NEVER give up on it !**

 **Much love to all of my amazing readers.**

 **~Kaila.**


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